What If?

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When I saw this prompt, I immediately thought of a number of Sliding Doors moments which would have completely changed the course of my life. So, here they are in chronological order.

When I was 5 or 6, my Dad was offered a job over in Australia but had to turn it down. I won’t go into details, but I would have ended up living Down Under and I know I would have loved it.

When I was 11, I went to a Grammar School instead of continuing with private education. If the other choice had been made I would have got far less bullying, far better results and I would have gone to University at 18 and no doubt got a really good job on the basis of my school name.

When I was 19 I joined the RAF but I was injured during basic training. I would definitely have done at least 9 years in the forces, maybe more and would almost certainly never gone to University. This was the pivotal Sliding Doors moment, because it set me on a path where I met my wife.

Actually, there was one more moment when my alternative universe self and my wife to be never met. When I was 21 I was unemployed and my Dad had a proper go at me during a Boxing Day party. He pointed out that I hadn’t made an effort to get a job during December. Just to prove him wrong I went to the Job Centre the following day, found a job, applied for it and got it. Sitting opposite me on that first day was my wife to be.

Fast forward to my late 20s. Once again looking for a job, although I was at least employed by Kidderminster Town Hall which was actually one of my favourite jobs, and I had given up on finding anything in teaching. I put the job section of The Times on the recycling pile. My wife decided to have a look and found the advert for the JET Programme. That one decision set the course for the rest of my career and my life. 30 years later I am still teaching English to non native speakers!

Finally, in my late 30s history repeated itself when I was offered a job in Australia but I had to turn it down, exactly as my Dad had done over 30 years earlier.

So there you have it. Scenario 1, I lived my life in my favourite country. Scenario 2, I had a really long stint in the forces and never got into teaching. That said, I know I would have been an instructor because that is where my skill set is. Scenario 3, I never applied for that job and never met my wife. That is the Sliding Doors moment that really makes me feel like I was meant to meet her. Scenario 4, I never went to Japan and never started teaching English. Scenario 5, I went to Japan and Hong Kong, but I settled in Australia where I made a career and a life for us.

So there are 5 multiverses setting off in 5 different directions. Would I have been happier in any of those? Possibly, but we’ll never know unless our multiverses meet in the future and I catch up with my alternate selves.