WHAT IF?

Ever think about that? What if I didn't make that decision? I think about it every now and then, especially as I get set to graduate. Instead of the "What If's" that sounds more like regrets, I decided to look at the decisions that I made that worked out great. A lot of my assumptions of what would have happened are probably wrong but hey, I don't know and neither do you.

WHAT IF...I did not choose Ohio University? Well, I would probably be at Syracuse or Northwestern since those were the only schools that I applied to and were accepted. Both would have cost me well over $20,000 a year so the choice would not have been a financial one. I would have probably gone to Syracuse since NW just gave me this preppy vibe, a la Miami. I would obviously not be getting paid to go to school so money may have been a bit more lean. I also would not be guaranteed a spot in the dorms my sophomore year at SU. They simply can't guarantee that...odd to me. I wouldn't touch a camera until junior year so I probably would have been terrible at shooting video. There would be no Promise commercial or Gridiron Glory but there would be better college basketball. The college football would still suck. I would be further from home so less trips to CBus and odds are, wouldn't be reffing or at least traveling to extramural tourneys. Never seen SU anywhere. I might have had more connections coming out of college, especially with ESPN but I also would seen a lot (and I mean a lot) more snow.

WHAT IF...I did not meet Kevin Hunt and Luke Florence? Well, first of all, there would be no Pizza Hut Lunch buffet every Friday, which in turn would have made my Fridays more open for tours. Also, I might be 10 pounds thinner. I also would not have Taco John's or McHappy's every quarter. Bromley 310 may never have happened nor the many lists that I have made in 4 years. I can assure you I would have never visited Tiffin unless my car broke down. Black History Month would be much less fun and I would playing Guitar Hero by myself a lot. My intramural teams may have won a championship when I was a freshman or sophomore and I probably never would have been a fan of Keystone or Coors Light.

WHAT IF...I did not ref intramural sports? Well, I would get another job, probably at a dining hall or personal training for Ping as I originally planned. I probably would have devoted more time to the TV station and done more tours. I would have never been to places like San Francisco, Arizona, Pensacola, Dallas and my favorite, New Orleans and Bourbon Street. I would have met the likes of Devin Simpson, Matt Rinaldi, Sunshine and many, many others. Others I have worked with may have only been acquaintances instead of great friends, including the guy I was afraid of for no reason freshman year. I also would not be traveling around SE Ohio being screamed at in middle school gyms.

WHAT IF...there was no Promise? Well, life would be a lot easier. Less texts for sure and facebook wall messages from people who either saw the commercial or billboard. Less people at church calling me a superstar when I didn't even have a job yet. Less people calling me "The Promise" everyday. Less pictures of me on the website, though I had been getting my fair share already. The President would just see me as another black student on this nearly all-white campus. You know, I actually enjoyed all of this. Glad it happened.

WHAT IF...there was no Gridiron Glory? Well, there is no Promise. There is no random SE Ohio citizen coming to me, asking me about the show. There is no mom coming to me to tell me about how much her kid loves the show or even the fan of the week shirt I gave him. There would be no consuming of beverages with high school football stars from the area. I would have more eventful Friday nights....at least, early Friday nights. I would not know the schools in this area as well as I do. There would be no Emmy. And above all this...there is probably no job in Augusta, GA starting June 30.

WHAT IF...there was no PreCollege? Well, my 21st birthday might have been a lot different. The Bob Fenner and the Soup Can Experience would be lacking diversity. "Good to go" would not be THAT much fun to say. I would never know what a "snap" is. There would be no peer advising this year. There would be $3300 to be made somewhere else (but where?). Coed softball games the past three years may have been more competitive. Many friends I have made may not have been. Wine and Cheese would just well, wine and cheese. And Rick Linn would just be another staff member at OU.

There are probably many more "What Ifs" but these stood out to me. I challenge you to do the same. Odds are not only will it be fun to think about but make you feel better about all those great decisions you have made in your life. Hakuna Matata