Would you rather ….
One of the favorite things my children liked to do when they were young was play the game, “Would you rather?” They loved to fill up the dinner or travel time in the car with “Would you rather A or B?”
For example, “Would you rather eat a live bug or swallow a raw egg?”
When I would answer the question, they would want to know why I picked one of the horrors over the other. Then they would tell me which one they would respond with their choice.
Many kids love to play this game with their parents, siblings, and/or friends. Why were my kids obsessed with these questions?
If I had to guess, the teenagers are preparing to become adults. As we all know, living through this new COVID 19 world, we are often put into positions where we have to make hard choices between various options, and none of it is fun.
Some of the hard choices are more positive but have just as many consequences. All of us, at one time or another, are forced to decide between two or more things that impact our lives permanently.
Do you pick stability or passion?
When choosing one’s career, do you choose stability or your passion?
My son is faced with this issue currently. He chose his passion to build his business for that past five years, working fifteen or more hours daily. His business has been growing at a snail’s pace but won state awards.
He received an offer to work for a company that pays well. He wanted to pass on it to opt for his passion.
He received a phone call from his mom (yep me), saying, “Are you kidding me? A fourth of the country is without work. Take the money. Pay your rent. Be able to eat. Put something in savings.”
He is conflicted about whether to listen to his mom and the appeal of paying his rent versus not giving up on his dream.
He is in the middle of a tense game of “Would you rather …” (Fingers crossed on how it turns out.)
We also play this game when it comes to love.
Would you rather marry a person for passion or stability?
We have centuries of examples of royals choosing the stability of their government by marrying for alliances over someone they love.
And we have the classic tale of Romeo and Juliette, where two young people decided to indulge their passion.
This kind of paradox of choice is exactly what my main character, Darlene Chambers, is facing in my upcoming novel, Tangles of the Heart.
She must choose a career path. Should she go for the money like I told my son to do? Or should she follow her passion like my son has been doing? What kind of criteria is she going to use to make the choice?
Throw in other big life decisions. Does she want to stay close to her mom, who she loves in a place she loves, Island Park, Idaho?
Or should she branch out to Tucson, Arizona, or maybe even southern California?
And, of course, as she is trying to figure out her career, she also needs to choose between two very good (and attractive!) men.
One man, Austin, is climbing the corporate ladder and happy about it, supportive, kind-hearted, and been her best friend through rough times.
Cactus Ronnie is a race car driver taking risks and going full force for his passion.
How does she choose?
How do you choose between your options? How do you answer, “Would you rather….?”
Tangles of the Heart is going to be released in just three days watch your email to be one of the first readers to explore the world of Tucson, Island Park, and racing.
