A Choose Your Own Adventure Story
My wife and I split up and I just celebrated yet another wedding anniversary, so it’s got me thinking about life, about the past.
Remember that miserable job I had back in 2007? Well, not much has changed since then, has it? Things sure have changed since then, haven’t they?
The crap I took from my boss–some days I didn’t think I could take it anymore, but eventually I got used to it thankfully I never got used to it and found a better way.
They’ve been a decent company to work for compared to some. It could have been worse, I guess. Work is work. It was frightening to take a leap, to make a big change. There were some days while I was looking when I thought I was just being too choosy about my job, but I’m so glad I didn’t give into that voice.
I often wonder about what would have happened if I’d taken a chance to find something better kept trying to grind it out. That’s a question that I answered the hard way, didn’t I? I’m glad to leave unanswered.
The doctor said that I need to do something drastic about my stress level I seem to be in pretty good condition. That my blood pressure is actually lower than it was back then, if you can believe it.
It’s depressing amazing to think about what a difference our jobs can make in our lives for better or for worse.
I hope to win the lottery. I’m not sure I’ll ever retire as long as I keep having fun with this stuff.
17 responses so far ↓
1 Frank Roche // Oct 24, 2007 at 8:41 am
Very well done…I re-read that one a couple of times…very clever and very thought provoking. It’s the little choices we make…and some of the big ones.
2 Naomi Dunford // Oct 24, 2007 at 9:34 am
Chuck… You rule. The world needs more CYOA stories. Might make us think a little harder about the choices we make.
3 Brad Shorr // Oct 24, 2007 at 9:36 am
Well done! Two posts in one - quite entertaining.
4 elysa // Oct 24, 2007 at 11:01 am
Love the concept of this post!
5 Chuck Westbrook // Oct 24, 2007 at 11:10 am
@Frank– Thank you very much. I’ve always noticed when you enjoy something I’ve written and take that as a special compliment.
@Naomi– Thanks. I think video games in healthy doses can help drill that concept in. actually. Games like The Sims or a role playing game. If you take these actions, you will produce a definite result. Covey’s first habit, I think.
@Brad– Thank you, Brad. As always, I really love getting feedback, especially when it is positive : )
@elysa– There’s a great book called “99 ways to tell a story” by Matt Madden. If you liked this post, you should check it out. He’s a comic artist and does the same story in 99 different comic versions. It’s interesting.
6 JoeDrinker // Oct 24, 2007 at 1:17 pm
The “Sliding Doors” method of writing…clever!
7 Darin // Oct 24, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Some days I feel as if I am writing in that negative tone with every email and speaking to each person. I should always write and act in that positive second method. Great wait to show both sides!
8 Chuck Westbrook // Oct 24, 2007 at 1:59 pm
@JoeDrinker– I had to look that reference up, I’m afraid. Is it a good film? I watched a bad Woody Allen movie called Melinda and Melinda that tried to tell the same story once as a comedy and once as a tragedy, but the execution was awful…
@Darin– Thanks. It’s all about determining who we are becoming.
9 HR Wench // Oct 24, 2007 at 4:21 pm
I will admit it - I tend to skim inspirational posts written by people who I assume are much more hope-filled than I am. But this is a great, thought-provoking post that deserves a couple of read-throughs. Bravo! Excellent job putting things into perspective.
10 Sim // Oct 24, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Chuck, I think you’ve done one o fthe hardest things a writer must do to escape mediocrity: make your point clear and simple with effective delivery. The article does well, I believe, to attract the not-so-pensive kind, and push them towards contemplation. Essentially, isn’t that what will change our society from a dissatisfied and complaint-oriented one, to a content and proactive one? We need more thinkers, but people are afraid to think. So, we need more writers like you to make them think. Thank you for sharing this.
11 Peggy // Oct 24, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Great post…makes me wonder…..what do I wish I could have crossed out and rewrote…what do I have ahead of me that I can still cross out and rewrite…
12 Liz // Oct 24, 2007 at 9:06 pm
This made me think of one of my favorite quotes:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain
Great Post!
13 DayJobNuker // Oct 25, 2007 at 12:27 am
Chuck,
This is excellent for sure.
I don’t know whether you got much traffic from the article you wrote for my site but I know it was Stumbled so I hope you got some.
I want you to know that with the stuff you write you have a standing invitation to guest post on my site whenever you want. I mean it. Thanks.
DayJobNuker
14 Chuck Westbrook // Oct 25, 2007 at 12:24 pm
@HR Wench– What a nice compliment. Thank you!
@Sim– Again, that’s incredibly kind of you to take the time to share those thoughts. I really appreciate it. I hope to make an impact with my writing, so comments like these are huge.
@Peggy– There’s still plenty of time. It’s an exciting thought, really.
@Liz– Thank you! Mark Twain quotes can probably apply to everything ever. Great humorist and writer.
@Joe– I got some traffic, absolutely. I enjoyed having the opportunity to write for your site, and I appreciate the guest invitation. You have the most interesting make money website I’ve found so far. It’s really interesting to read, and I don’t say that to just anybody.
15 10 Standout Writing & Marketing Links | Word Sell, Inc. // Nov 5, 2007 at 8:32 am
[…] Westbrook’s recent post Twenty Years from Now … takes a highly imaginative turn as he writes two stories in […]
16 Jarkko // Nov 7, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Chuck, this is a great post: Very well written, and though provoking.
You rock!
17 Kathy // Nov 28, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Appreciate the insight! Great post - hopefully it will help someone ‘rewrite’ their future!
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