Choose Your Own Adventure
I remember reading these "Choose Your Own Adventure" books back when I was a kid. Most of them were spooky stories, like about vampires and stuff - and then as you read the book, there are pages which will ask you to make a decision, as you are the main character of the story apparently. For example, if you choose to look around the haunted mansion, turn to page 2 or if you choose to stay in the car, turn to page 5. So you really can't read the book from cover to cover. The story or how long the story goes all depends on you, and the choices you make.
Sometimes in the course of reading the book, I make a bad decision and end up getting "killed" by some monster or ghost. And yes, I did try to cheat my way through the book a couple of times by taking a peek at the page I supposedly decided on, and upon seeing a "The End" at the bottom,I quickly switch to the other option. Makes me stay on the story longer, but it does kill the excitement as well.
The last Choose Your Own Adventure book I read was Vampire Express, and it freaked the hell out of me. The image of that vampire on the book cover certainly made its mark in my memory bank.
For some reason, that book was no longer found. It's probably in some hole in the wall book sale, but maybe it has been years since its popularity, and a lot more interesting things (i.e. internet, playstation) simply made this book concept obsolete.
So here's my point. Sometimes I wished my life could be formatted ala Choose Your Own Adventure book, where I'd know what was going to happen so I could just cheat my way through the pages of the book.
The older you get, the more decisions you have to make. Some of them small and insignificant to even have an impact on your memory, some of them are grave enough to change your whole life. Tough. I certainly could not turn the page the minute I realized my decision was a big mistake. Maybe if I could see my future, things would have been better. Boring as hell, but better probably.
My life is my "Choose Your Own Adventure" book - each day presenting a whole new array of choices. I am still plagued by "what ifs" or "what the hell was I thinking". And I do have my "thank God I did this" moment, and that feeling certainly beats even the best sleeping pill. Knowing you made the right decision, or at least knowing you are content with your decision and ready for its outcome is more than enough to give you a good night's sleep.
Wish I could just "undo" some of my decisions like a Word document, or turn the page swiftly when I see that I just picked out the wrong page. But maybe there is a reason, a path made of right and wrong decisions. Maybe it's that crazy mix of destiny and free will that gives your chosen options more meaning. The feeling of uncertainty that equally depresses and excites you always makes life a little more interesting by the minute.
I will definitely choose my own adventure, since I can't run away from that. But I'm trying to live and accept the options I made, both good and bad, because it's my own adventure, my own reality. And I will live with it, whatever is out there.
Sometimes in the course of reading the book, I make a bad decision and end up getting "killed" by some monster or ghost. And yes, I did try to cheat my way through the book a couple of times by taking a peek at the page I supposedly decided on, and upon seeing a "The End" at the bottom,I quickly switch to the other option. Makes me stay on the story longer, but it does kill the excitement as well.
The last Choose Your Own Adventure book I read was Vampire Express, and it freaked the hell out of me. The image of that vampire on the book cover certainly made its mark in my memory bank.
For some reason, that book was no longer found. It's probably in some hole in the wall book sale, but maybe it has been years since its popularity, and a lot more interesting things (i.e. internet, playstation) simply made this book concept obsolete.
So here's my point. Sometimes I wished my life could be formatted ala Choose Your Own Adventure book, where I'd know what was going to happen so I could just cheat my way through the pages of the book.
The older you get, the more decisions you have to make. Some of them small and insignificant to even have an impact on your memory, some of them are grave enough to change your whole life. Tough. I certainly could not turn the page the minute I realized my decision was a big mistake. Maybe if I could see my future, things would have been better. Boring as hell, but better probably.
My life is my "Choose Your Own Adventure" book - each day presenting a whole new array of choices. I am still plagued by "what ifs" or "what the hell was I thinking". And I do have my "thank God I did this" moment, and that feeling certainly beats even the best sleeping pill. Knowing you made the right decision, or at least knowing you are content with your decision and ready for its outcome is more than enough to give you a good night's sleep.
Wish I could just "undo" some of my decisions like a Word document, or turn the page swiftly when I see that I just picked out the wrong page. But maybe there is a reason, a path made of right and wrong decisions. Maybe it's that crazy mix of destiny and free will that gives your chosen options more meaning. The feeling of uncertainty that equally depresses and excites you always makes life a little more interesting by the minute.
I will definitely choose my own adventure, since I can't run away from that. But I'm trying to live and accept the options I made, both good and bad, because it's my own adventure, my own reality. And I will live with it, whatever is out there.
posted by annagar at 5:50 PM
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