Forks in the road

We watched a show called the Universe a while back, specifically an episode about parallel universes. It was a little over my head, honestly. Any how, there was a part of this episode that involved the idea that for every choice we make (or don't make) some where there is an alternate universe created in which the opposite happens.

This theory has bounced around in my head since then. I mean, these people on the show are the Stephen Hawkins of their fields. Not wacky people, but smart people, and they were discussing the potential (actually, they made it clear it was probable) that alternate universes exist.

So that's got me thinking about all the possible universes out there just based on my decisions from high school onward.

1. There is a universe in which I went to University of West Florida in Pensacola instead of going to University of South Alabama in Mobile.
2. There is a universe in which I don't get the ROTC scholarship and had to leave school.
3. There is a universe in which I get the career in the Air Force I thought I wanted (Public Affairs)
4. There is a universe in which I got intimate with boyfriend number 4 rather than breaking up
5. and a universe in which I got up the nerve to ask that Karate crush out
6. There's a universe where I didn't join karate,
   
7. and one where I did but didn't compete in Karate (therefor didn't get my hip all jacked up)
8. There is a universe in which I didn't get stationed to (first pick) Alabama after Colorado.
9. And probably one where I got stationed to Alabama but in some obscure pocket of personnel (human resources) where I'd never have met E
10. There is a universe in which I said no to E's first date
11. and perhaps one where I said no to a second date
12. and probably one where I said no to marriage
    
13. and there is a universe where I said no to moving to NYC
14. and there is a universe where I decided to stay in the Air Force.
15. There is a universe where I decided to keep on teaching
16. and one where I'm stuck teaching because I didn't click apply that one time it mattered.

And these are just the big decisions... according to the people on that show, EVERY decision made creates a new alternate universe ( if you happen to know that I've misinterpreted their theory, please feel free to correct me). Red shirt or blue shirt? poof! New universe! Chicken or Beef? Poof! New universe!

Does this go as far as deciding to say "poof" vs "bam"? Is each word, each sentence I pick creating a new alternate universe where basically everything's the same except I said "bam" instead of "poof"?

THIS is why we stopped watching that Universe show after three episodes. I'd rather think about string beans than string theory... but now I have this whole alternate universe thing rattling around in some echo chamber of my mind. All I can say to this theory is:

I am so glad that I'm not the thousands of other me's that populate the thousands of alternate universes I've created.