What happened to me? Sure I've got a good job at a marketing agency but I expected more out of life. I was supposed to be the next big NBA star. At least that's what my Dad kept telling me. I was so good in high school that I had a lot of colleges looking to recruit me. But then I hurt myself really bad while snowboarding and messed up my knee. I still walk with a bit of a limp. What time is it? 1 o'clock? That's it? I swear if that clock were any slower it would go back in time. I guess I should get back to work. POP! Oh great, another pop up ad on my computer. I tried to delete the ad but instead it continued to play.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Isaac Mendel creator of The Mendel Discombobulator. Are you stuck in a dead end job? Unhappy with your life? Wish you could do things differently if you got a second chance? Well now you can! My new invention allows for you to go back to any period of your life where you can change a past event. When you return to the present, you will start living the life you always wanted. Book a free consultation today! Butterfly F/X is located in The Temple Plaza next to Tony's Taco Emporium."

BUTTERFLY F/X

TONY'S TACO EMPORIUM

That was either the most ridiculous or most wonderful thing I had ever watched. It sounded too absurd to be true. A time travel machine? I wake up with a million regrets every morning and would love to fix some things in the past. But that 'doctor' looked a little dodgy and besides, time machines only exist in science fiction stories. The more I thought about it though, the more curious I became and so, on a whim, I headed off to Butterfly F/X. After polishing off a vegetarian taco I walked into the office to meet Dr. Mendel.

When I entered the building I was unable to find what floor Dr. Mendel's office was on. I asked a couple of passersby who gave me the strangest looks. "That quack? He's on the 4th floor." I hopped on the elevator and when the doors opened Dr. Mendel was waiting for me. There was nobody else in the office. It appeared as though he didn't have a staff working for him. Nor were there any other potential customers looking to take advantage of his time travel service. I thought about ditching the appointment but was spotted by Dr. Mendel. "Ah Daniel, welcome. Please have a seat."

As he was explaining how the time travel process worked I began to get cold feet. A ton of questions started dancing around my head. What if this didn't work? What if I got hurt in this weird experiment? How much was this gonna cost me? And what kind of doctor was he really? I didn't see a single diploma anywhere in his office. I started to think of a polite way to exit the office when I caught a glimpse of The Mendel Discombobulator. It was a sweet, cherry red sports car. "There she is Daniel, my pride and joy." I probably should've just walked away but when would I get a chance to ride inside such a dope car? I signed some papers and was ready to right the wrongs of the past.

I was so enthralled by the sports car that I didn't hear a word Dr. Mendel said. "And so when you're ready to go, put your foot on the gas pedal and drive as fast as you can." "And then?" I asked. "After selecting the year that you want to return to, put your foot to the gas pedal and drive as fast as you canon the gas pedal and let the car do the rest. You'll get to your location in no time. Once you've taken care of business, hop back into the car and drive at a super-high speed to return to the present. Everything you've done in the past will be reflected in present times whether it be a new job, a girlfriend, or fame and fortune. I handed Dr. Mendel a wad of bills and drove off in the fancy sports car.

I put all my weight on the gas pedal as I tore out of the doctor's office. The speed had become so intense that it briefly knocked me unconscious. When I regained my senses I found myself in a very familiar setting. I was back in 1994, my senior year of high school. As I looked around I noticed a few landmarks which have since been torn down. I slowly exited the car and took in the sights and sounds around me. It felt good to be in Hackensack, New Jersey again. It was a sleepy town of about 2,000. I went away to college and then started working in the bustling metropolis of New York City. Now I had to try to prevent myself from going on that ill-fated trip to The Frostbite Forest Ski Lodge.

I walked down to the street in search of my old secondary school. There it was, Patriot High. I can still hear my Dad yelling at me to 'bend my elbow more' and 'drive harder to the basket.' My Dad was recruited by a small college in North Carolina where he never started a game. He rarely played and after graduation, he stopped playing basketball altogether. That was until I was born. From the moment I started walking, he had me bouncing a basketball. My Dad and I spent hours after supper shooting nothing but free throws. He had high hopes for me as it was his dream to watch me play college basketball at a big name school. I guess I wanted that too. Kinda.

Oh no! There goes the bus! I tried running after it but had to stop due to my knee pain. Now what? I had spent all this money to miraculously prevent the worst day of my life from happening and I blew it. "It just wasn't meant to be Daniel." "I guess you're right. Wait, who said that?" "Down here" a tiny voice called out. "Who are you? One of those travel elf things?" "No. I'm a gnome and we go everywhere!" "So why are you here? Don't you have some cookies to bake?" "I'm not an elf! We all have regrets and wish we could do things over but certain things just weren't meant to be." "Save it gnome, I paid good money for this opportunity and I'm gonna fix my biggest mistake. Now buzz off!"

When I entered my old high school I headed straight to the gym where I was a can't miss prospect. Well, maybe I wasn't that good after all. Sure I liked basketball but did I ever love it? Every game was so intense for me. Failure was not an option. Even if my team won, my Dad would find things to criticize about my performance on the court. And those college scouts weren't there to watch me play. They were doing a favor for my Dad. Boy did I ever feel foolish. "You know Daniel, it sounds like the dream of having a basketball career was more about your Dad than it was about you." "I think you're right. That makes a lot of sense. You sure are wise Baby Yoda." "I'm a gnome!"