v36.7: What If?

Good morning folks,

-slurp-

I'm sure you've asked yourself the question before: "What if this happened?" or "What if that?".  I find it interesting at how much time and energy is spent dwelling on the "What If" in life.  Don't get me wrong, I do it as well, but there are some people who seem to always dwell in the What If scenario and never step back and take a look at what they have to be thankful for here and now.

-slurp-

In 1957 a man by the name Hugh Everett came up with this theory that we exist in a layer of reality among many different layers.  The basic theory is: whatever can happen, does happen in a different reality or layer.  I believe I've talked about this theory before in a previous musing but in the event I have not, here is a really simple example of how this works:

• Johnny and Jane are thinking of breaking up:
  
  
  
  • Universe 1 - Johnny and Jane break up and go their separate ways.
    
    
    
    • Johnny finds out years later that Jane had been cheating on him:
      
      
      
      • Universe 1.1: Johnny shrugs it off and moves on with his life
      
      
      • Universe 1.2: Johnny hunts down Jane and makes her pay with her life
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Universe 2 - Johnny and Jane decide to stay together and eventually get married.
    
    
    
    • Johnny finds out a year later that Jane had been cheating on him:
      
      
      
      • Universe 1.1: Johnny and Jane get a divorce
      
      
      • Universe 1.2: Johnny succumbs to his anger and murders his wife
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

I could go on and on with these scenarios but I think this paints a fairly good picture of what I'm trying to say.  In summary, anything that can happen actually does happen in another universe (or layer if you prefer).  This means somewhere out there is a universe where you do not exist.  Just think of all the things in life that would have had to happen in order for you to exist today.  Think about your parents, think about your grand parents and keep going back for many generations.  Think about all the things that could have gone wrong which would have eventually led to you never being born.  This is the ultimate "What If" scenario.

-slurp-

There was a television show in the 90's called "Sliders" which was about this exact same theory.  The idea behind the show is this scientist found a way to create a "hole" in space-time which would allow them to "slide" between alternate realities.  Each episode found them on a different Earth where things were drastically wrong.  For example, I recall one episode where it was the world as if Hitler won the 2nd World War or an episode where the human race had not yet discovered Penicilin and were dieing because of a fairly common (in our universe) flu.  The show lasted 5 seasons and by the 3rd or 4th season, became a complete disaster and completely random.

-slurp-

Anyway folks, that's enough chatter about "What If".  I'm feeling a little ill today but yet here I am, in the office, trying to stay focused on the tasks in front of me.  Remember, try not to dwell too much on the "What If" scenario; be thankful for what you have and where you are today, it could be a LOT worse.

-slurp-

Cheers,

Al