A Lot Could Change in 30 Minutes

I was reading a message board earlier today that was predicated on the notion of being able to change your life in 30 minute snippets. The idea being, that if you could change your life, not in the total grand scheme of things, or be able to go and start over at age 10 with the knowledge you have now, but to take 30 minute windows of time where you wanted to and change the course of your current existence, or perhaps just alter your actions without tremendous affect later, what would you change?

It made me think. Brilliant little ideas like these get the creative juices flowing, and so I thought back on my own life. Where would 30, or even 20, or 10 minutes make a big difference in where I am today? Would I want to change it? I'm not big on regret, because I tend to believe all that happens to you, or all you expereince is a component of who you are, and have become. Why change that? But there are certainly things I wish I could have a do-over on. Don't we all?

So...what I've come up with so far.

- I would have paid more attention getting out of the car that day..the day I lost my first Tiffany1837 necklace that I bought as a NYC memento my first solo trip back here- lost forever
- I wouldn't have gone swimming that Saturday afternoon with Christy...maybe a book, or the playground instead.
- I would have walked past the window and not bought those horrid patent leather red kitten heels...atrocious
- I wouldn't have wiped with poison ivy on that camping trip...those leaves over there look leafier
- The last shot (ok, shots) the night before I had to get on a train at 9am (and threw up on the train, repeatedly)
- Kissed Kevin in 3rd grade recess when I had the opportunity
- I would have waited for Megan* to get on the plane first, so she wouldn't have been so frightened instead of worrying about getting to that window seat (cringe)
- I would have said so, so much more to my Mom the 30 minutes before she passed...even though I knew she wouldn't really hear all of it
- I would have put the cell phone down before I got in that accident and totalled my car
- I would never have put that black cowel neck dress in the washer, thinking it would be fine...DAMN DAMN DAMN
- I would have been BOLD instead of standing in my doorway for what felt like ages just staring at him and not moving
- I would have picked the blue crayon first

Regret is a funny thing...