Turning point

Over dinner, we played a game. It went like this.

Assuming you had never left your hometown, what would your life have looked like?

We described who we thought we would have married, what kind of jobs we think we would have had, the amount of children and spouses, and the kind of hobbies we think we would have enjoyed. Purely speculative. And highly entertaining.

None of it was bad. In fact much of it sounded like a good life. But fundamentally different to what we found ourselves doing now.

So what was the turning point?  Why was it that instead of leading that life, we led this?

Clearly this was an impossible question to answer, but there were a number of ideas, as to what the inflection point could have been.

Mine for example, was the German teacher from my secondary school calling my parents, asking them to encourage me, to keep taking German lessons. You see, I had told her that I was stopping taking the morning lessons, as they were too hard. As a result of her (boldly and unusually) calling my parents, I ended up continuing with my German classes. I then went to Germany a number of times and during one of those trips, I met my now husband.

Other examples included car conversations about cities and based on those chats, choosing their university. Which subsequently meant meeting friends and wives.

The film "Sliding doors" with Gwyneth Paltrow reflects this phenomenon beautifully. Remember that classic?

So what was your turning point?

What would have happened if you had chosen the other way?

Glad you didn't? Wish you had?

Why is it that we went this way, and others the other? My friends theory is simple, it all depended on the water you drank!

Thoughts anyone?