Second choice…

Do you ever look back in your life and reflect on unplanned events that turned out to have big impacts?  I was doing that recently while attending a basketball reunion at my college.  It was 50 years ago (1973) when events occurred that changed my original plans; changed my life. 

From a basketball standpoint, in the spring of 1973 I had finished the best competitive sports year of my life.  It was my sophomore year at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.  First Team All Midwest Conference; led the conference in scoring; set the Knox all-time, single season scoring record; set the all-time, single game scoring record; set a couple other records, too.  Then, in the fall… 

 “Gary, what’s your second choice?”  My junior year, I moved from the low-post position to guard so a better player than me could start at low post.  (He ultimately broke all my records.)  It was the right choice. 

Coincidently, at the start of my senior year I moved positions again – this time from guard to forward.  Forward was the natural position for my skill set and the team thrived because our coach started better guards than I was.  By moving to forward I completed three years as a starter; made Second Team All Midwest Conference that year; and set the all-time career scoring record.  (That record was broken, too.)  Yep, the right choice. 

Academically, I found myself on a new path winter term of 1973.  Up to then I was in a pre-med track.  After the previous fall term where I earned a “C” in Accounting-I; a “D” in Organic Chemistry-I; and an “F” in a biology 400 class, Thallophytes, I was “invited” to meet with Debra Wing, Dean of Students after Christmas break. 

Debra inquired about my major.  When I replied, “pre-med” she didn’t pause, didn’t blink, she just asked, “What’s your second choice?”  I was placed on academic probation but permitted to play basketball under the stipulation I would change majors, improve my grades, and take a summer make-up course.  Just like that I was no longer going to be a doctor. 

I did change my major; improved my grades; and completed that make-up course over the summer (Economics).  I graduated in 4 years (albeit in the bottom half of my class LOL!).  It was the right choice. 

In the spring of 1973 another change of plan occurred.  My fiancé and I originally planned to wait until after graduation to wed.  Instead, as a 20-year-old college sophomore, my 19-year-old, high school sweetheart and I eloped.  We were already engaged so getting married wasn’t a huge surprise.  Or so we thought.  Her parents thought differently.  When we returned from the ceremony to tell them our “great news”, they were mad as hell.  Fortunately, they didn’t ask my wife to make a second choice, HaHa!

Everything turned out OK as I wrote about (see My Rock).  We had a church wedding that summer witnessed and enjoyed by family and friends.  Her parents welcomed me into their family.  And equally important, my Mom and Dad got to see their younger son wed before my Mom died during my junior year after a long bout with cancer.  It was another right choice. 

So when you find yourself in a situation where your plans are not working out having to make a second choice is OK.  Sometimes we even find that the second choice turns out to be the best choice. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.