I've been reading a book called, "The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century", a collection of short stories that deal with several arthurs that write about alternate history. I just finished one story that centers around one man in the 1930's, but he lives in a time in which the Confederacy won the Civil War by winning the Battle of Gettysburg. By winning the battle and the war, the Union (United States) becomes a third world country by the 1930's, the Confederacy becomes a world power by conquering most of the Western Hemisphere, and there technology and society are not the same as our timeline. It's a compelling story that center's around this one man, how life is for him while living in the United States, and how he becomes intertwined with history and finds away to go back in time to the Battle of Gettysburg. The question is, is he willing to change his own history?

The reason it's so compelling to me is because I find the idea of certain moments in time that can effect the outcome of not only your life, but the entire civilization as we know. My 10 year reunion is coming up soon (class of 96) and I've been running into a few classmates, having some organize the reunion, and using the internet to contact everyone. One classmate has designed his own reunion website, while a few have been using websites like myspace.com to get in touch with a few others. Now it seems like everyone I know is coming out of the woodwork for this, those that I've not had any contact since graduating.

I think now of one possible moment 10 years ago that could have been a possible crossroads in the way I lived my life. I decided to go to George Mason Universty after graduating high school, because I felt I had to get away from those from my high school. I knew no one from there was going to GMU so I felt that was an opportunity. However, I was accepted to James Madison and William & Mary too. If I had decided to go to either one, I think things could have changed whether better or worse. I was the quiet and shy one in high school, never thought that no one knew who I was. I figured if I went to JMU or W&M, I might have ran into a few of them. With W&M, I'm sure it would have been a toss up for me there. It's one of the best schools in the country and I'm sure if I went there, I think my career would have been different. However, I hear it had a big suicide rate there too......makes you wonder though!

Oh well.....I am what I am! There are so many possibilites in life.