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Scott R. Thompson's avatar

Early in my prior career (law enforcement) I had a recurring dream that I was in a parking lot doing paperwork when a car pulled up and asked me for directions. As I started to tell them where to go, they pulled out a shotgun and shot me. I couldn’t get the car from Park into Drive to escape. Without further details, it was hyper realistic. After talking with a co-worker, I recreated the dream as I fell asleep, only this time I left the car in drive and kept my foot on the brake. When the shotgun appeared, I drove off and was able to “win” the fight. That night I had the same dream but with my modification. That was the last night I ever had the dream. From that point forward I always left my car in drive while parked and doing paperwork.

I would be afraid to change anything because I have the most wonderful wife and children and wouldn’t want to risk not having them.

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Diana Leonard's avatar

My grandmother was my best friend and she would frequently pick me up just to run errands. If I could change something I’d stay home instead of going with her one Sunday afternoon in August 1964. She picked me up and we drove to town. She was going to a visitation for a friend who had died. I stayed in the car with my aunt, who was had some developmental challenges. My grandmother was hit by a car as she was walking across the street in the crosswalk with the light. Didn’t matter that she was following the rules, she was killed anyway.

If she had not picked me up she probably wouldn’t have been at that place at that time. I haven’t spent years blaming myself for this butterfly effect situation but I really wish I had had her in my life during my high school years. I was just entering 8th grade at the time. I’ve had a fine life, but I think it would have gone in a different direction. She had graduated from college in Iowa in 1922 with a degree in psychology. She was by no means a typical Iowa farm girl. I didn’t have nearly enough time to learn from her.

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