Choose to Change Choice

Use a condom not use a condom? well that's not the choice I'm talking about. Obviously the later of that choice would put a diaper on your plans... i meant damper!!
But yes choice, Its a funny word that goes hand in hand with destiny and yet we feel it was us who made the decision.
I have a friend working with a big software giant, extremely intelligent and very family oriented. Every new years no matter how great a plan i made he always had to go home to meet his folks. Last to last new years i managed to convince him to stay for one extra day, that is to celebrate Christmas and then go home. If he had not made his decision correctly, i.e. to come for the party, then this November he would not be getting married to the girl of his dreams!!
This is not a theory I'm trying to highlight or bring to any ones notice, its a fact that at some point we all have pondered over but have not really thought it threw.
The recent Pune Blast, first my condolences to all the friends and families who lost loved ones and enemies in that incident, i remember almost 7 years back i was sitting at the German Bakery drinking that exquisite coffee with a doughnut, today it remains a memory.
My best friend had shifted to Pune last year and stayed around Koregaon area. His daily routine was not monotonous in any way other than the fact that everyday he had to go have one cup of coffee and and fried egg with bread at the German bakery.
Religiously everyday till the famous coffee shop closed he would sit there observing people and enjoying the general ambiance it hosted.
I tried convincing him to come for Christmas, new years, my birthday and every other occasion but he never used to come.
The night the blast happened he was not there!!!
Why? because he came to Delhi to surprise me for my anniversary...
When we got to know of the blast the shock on his face and mine were of complete despair for the people who lost their lives. I feel selfish saying this, but i have to confess i felt relieved that i did not loose anyone or at least any one i know.
I'm sure if i had this blog would have had a completely different flavor to it! I'm sure if i had lost my best friend i would have made a big hullabaloo about it and maybe would have protested etc etc etc.
Why i say all this is not to highlight my insensitivity towards all this but what i mean to bring to our attention is has our power of choice has altered our approach towards the real world?
Have we ever thought of a consequence if we had made an alternate choice? if we had not left office early and would have still been sitting in the World trade Center on that fateful day, If we had stayed one extra night at the Taj, If we had not taken the next flight to surprise a friend. The big 'IF'.
I'm sure thinking of all this is meant to get people confused, when we think of choice and destiny we get that glazed look in our eyes and nod our heads as though its so deep we cant fathom consequences but just appreciate a good choice made.
But while appreciating that good choice we loose our sense of compassion!
I regret to say i thought i lost mine for the Pune blast, but as redemption i write this blog. Not to seek out others who feel the same, i hope i don't find anyone, but others who can give me hope that maybe there are only a few like me and that this world has hope after-all. I admit i did learn my lesson, others out there who did not even have that friend might have not even given it a second thought after sneering for a minute against those culprits, whoever they may be.
Compassion is not something we can buy nor is choice, destiny and time unfortunately.
There is no great ending to this article there is no summary or conclusion but a simple statement... 'You chose to read it didn't you? and maybe by this blogs contribution to your thoughts i might have changed something somewhere after all'
I chose to act!