If you could go back in time and do it again, knowing what you know now, how far back would you go?   Would you do it at all?

I'm fairly divided on this one.   There are certainly choices I've made in life I would certainly make differently, if I were back in that time and place, knowing what I know now.  

Back when I was in college I probably spent close to 100 bucks a month on comic books.   If I'd just redirected a couple months comic book funds into buying Microsoft stock, in that time line I would be retired before age 35 on a very good investment income.  (And I'd know to get in on the Google IPO, even if I couldn't get in till it got to 100 bucks a share.)  If I had time to prepare for going back i'd memorize some lottery numbers, but my memory for details like that sucks so I think the stocks are a better bet.

I would make different relationship decisions than I made then.   I can't say they would turn out any better than the choices I have made, but I can definitely say I would have avoided the heart aches I know for one's not yet experienced.

On the other side of that philosophical choice there is a very strong pull not to change anything at all.  There are a great number of people I have met in my life that I would not want to have missed out on.  Sure in some cases I know where they were at a given moment in time and I could seek them out and still be a part of their lives (and they a part of mine) but then i would be faced with the decision (in some cases) of whether to change their lives "for the better" or not.   I would have to go back to my teen years to prevent a close friend from being raped.  I have no idea how much else that would change because my actions would likely have some finality.. and i might end up spending that time line in jail.  Rape is bad.. violent rape is one of the few things i fully support capital punishment for. 

Other cases.. less drastic.   Do I prevent a friends marriage that I know turns abusive and ends badly?  Even if I know that means they won't have two beautiful and wonderful children?   I don't think i could do that.   I don't think she'd want me to.   Though if I took my stock advice I could be one heck of a fun sugar daddy when she finally decided she was ready to leave.

Do I tell my Dad that Mom's gonna leave him for another woman?  I can't see how that would be any benefit.   I would have to go pretty darn far back to tell Mom she didn't need to wait till I was out of the house to come out of the closet.   And even then.. Did she need to wait till she found the right relationship to leave for?

Do I tell my sister that husband number one is a narcissistic jerk/mama's boy and she shouldn't bother.   A much better choice is waiting down the time line and he'll be worth the wait?

Do I try to dredge up enough details of what's going to happen to try and prevent Bradey getting shot, Lennon getting shot, the shuttle disasters, 9/11?  Any number of other tragedies that I can't even remember off the top of my head?

Lets just say.. sometimes I'm glad that's not a choice I have to make.