Sometimes, it takes you a minute to realize how a really insignificant decision you made forever ago actually, really, kind of, and completely changed your life.
U/This_Check_4267 recently asked the people of Reddit, "What's a small, seemingly insignificant decision you've made that ended up having a huge impact on your life?" Life can really be so unpredictable, and here's a bunch of stories that prove exactly that:
1. "I took a random part-time job out of desperation making wooden snowboard and skateboard racks. Twelve years later, I’m deeply embedded in the woodworking industry and found a career. I didn’t see that coming."
—u/123Fake_St
2. "I was flying to Costa Rica to go backpacking south from there. My sister told me to fly into Guatemala because I had to see it. So I did, and here I am still, 10 years later, with a son and a life I never imagined."
—u/Old_Insect
3. "There was a kid's birthday party I wasn't planning to go to. I changed my mind at the last second and met my husband there."
—u/Jelnaana
4. "I was at a conference and stepped outside for a smoke. I bumped into a friend of mine who introduced me to the man he was walking with. That man encouraged me to apply for an opening in his office — and six months later, he hired me. It was the job that jumpstarted my career, changing my trajectory — all because of a bad habit."
—u/The_Dude311
5. "My desk job’s internet filter stopped me from going to my favorite websites. It didn’t block Boardgamegeek.com, so I ended up spending my downtime at work researching board games, game designers, and publishers. I read about a game I couldn’t find a copy of and put together a version of how I thought it might play. Later, I found out I was totally wrong about how that game worked, but I preferred my version of the game. I’m an award-winning board game designer now."
—u/DrFridayTK
7. "I was checking out a new tea shop that opened up in my area. I became friends with the owner, and she told me about a coding bootcamp, and less than a year later, I had a great new career."
8. "I broke my hand playing soccer in high school, so all I could do for gym class was walk a loop around the track the entire class period until my cast came off. A girl had a cast on her broken finger (hers got accidentally closed in a car door), so she walked with me every day, and we talked and hit it off. Twenty-plus years later, we’re married with a couple of kids."
9. "I was walking out the door after work. The phone rang, and I decided to go back and answer it instead of leaving. After a quick 30-second call, I was out the door. A couple miles down the road was a bad multi-car accident on a bridge. It could have been me."
—u/DanishWonder
10. "I scratched myself up in the field in ROTC training due to my own stupidity. I debated whether to go to the medical tent, since it was super minor. I ultimately did, and the cot next to me was a cadet from another school that was in a unit more in line with my career goals. The cadet got me an interview with the commander, and when I graduated and commissioned, I was assigned there. In the first few months, I met my now-wife, who was also new to the unit. Nearly two decades of marriage later, we’re both retiring and traveling the world together."
—u/TopSecretSpy
11. "About 22 years ago, I was fresh outta high school and had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I went out rollerblading one evening, and I decided to go down this road that looked familiar. I noticed a house and thought, 'Hey, that kinda looks like my buddy from high school's house,' so I decided to knock. Sure enough, it was his house. He was having a LAN party that weekend and invited me to come over, so I did. I ended up meeting this obnoxious kid who wouldn't leave me alone and eventually became my best friend. He convinced me to play World of Warcraft when it came out, and roughly three years later, I met my now-wife while playing it. All because I decided to go up and knock on a door."
12. "I chose to be nice to everyone in high school, even the kids people thought were weird. I fucked my life up pretty bad 10 years ago and recently got a call asking if I wanted to train as a software developer by one of those kids. I was frying chicken in a gas station for scraps. The dude told me he remembered me being smart and into that stuff, and he knew I could learn fast."
—u/xChariotx
And finally...
13. "On a night out, I went to Burger King, and at the last second, decided to get chicken nuggets with my burger instead of chips. I ate the burger but didn't feel like the nuggets by this point, so I asked the person opposite me on the bus if he wanted them. My exact words were, 'Ay lad, do you want my chicken nuggets?' He said yes, and we got talking. That was 16 years ago, and now, we are married with a beautiful daughter."
—u/gembob891
