bar karma

I happened across the new show Bar Karma on our on Demand guide a couple of days ago and watched the first episode while I folded laundry. Interesting show with a lot of potential. The premise is that a software/computer mega millionaire finds himself in a 'cosmic' bar after he attempts to leave a one night stand's apartment. The bartender and the waitress walk him through what has happened to him and help him to understand why. He is at a crossroads, a point in 'reality' where if different choices are made, different outcomes will occur.

It is the land of the 'what ifs'. Or at least the watering hole for the 'what ifs'.

Yesterday afternoon I attended a meeting, a real business meeting complete with town executives, alderman, department heads etc.  I was asked to join in by the gal running the meeting, our Main Street director. She knows I've started my job search, yes, I'm returning to the work force, but that is another story, and thought this would be great exposure for me. It was and it will be.

I had left a text message on the middle kid's cell to let her know I wouldn't be home when they arrived from school as I was in a meeting. Well, of course, my cell starts to buzz towards the end of the meeting. I sneak a peek and it is her. I ignore it, not once, but two more times. The meeting ends and I sneak out to answer her fourth call.

She and her sister had been in a car accident on the major thoroughfare in town. They were the second car in a three car chain reaction. Another young driver hit them from behind and pushed them into the car ahead of them.  All drivers are fine.  Two cars aren't and had to be towed, ours being one of them. Luckily the final car in the chain was just tapped by our car as the oldest kid was at a complete stop when this happened and had left a good amount of space between her and the car ahead of her.

It was quite the scene, ambulances, fire trucks, police cars etc. Even though I knew driving over there that everyone was okay, seeing those ambulances and the fire truck made my stomach do a major flip.

Now, the tie in to the Bar Karma.....if only she hadn't had to take that route. If only she had stopped for an ice cream, if only she hadn't...and on and on. The 'what ifs' take over and they can haunt you. She was dealing with that a bit last night. But life isn't a TV show and we don't get a chance to choose a different path and hope for a very different result.  Accidents happen. Cars can be fixed. And sometimes, even when you do things right, bad things can happen.