Choices have consequences

“Choices have consequences,” the American president told the Kenyan people as they were about to participate in the last general elections. Now Kenyan’s being the peculiar persons they are, keep on repeating the phrase. And who am I not to join them. So – choices have consequences.

The elections came and went. Whether the current office bearers in Kenya were the right choice or not is neither here nor there - for the choice has already been made. The consequences are clearly not apparent to most of us yet, for it has only been a few months, but I am sure in a number of years Kenyans will either be celebrating their choice all over again, or ruing it.

“Choices have consequences”, said a woman next to me to the person at the other end of the phone line. I wondered what the warning was in regard to – I doubt it was a political choice she was referring to. It must have been either professional or personal. Which got me thinking about the whole choice and consequence thingini.

A choice usually means that one is making a decision. It is “an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.” This in turn leads to actions or words.

Meanwhile, after careful analysis I think the connotation to the word consequences in the phrase mentioned, is not pleasant. It invokes an unpleasant result. It appeals to costs and penalties. I would like to think that consequences are neutral. That it is the “choices” that are either bad or good?

When I say something, do something, do I ever stop and think of what I want to accomplish? What will be the outcome - in the short term and in the long term? Do choices made now have ultimate consequences, which are larger than the choice and the now?

Robert F. Bennett former, a former United States Senator is quoted as saying “your life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.

I like it. I like the freedom part. And add that, with that freedom must come responsibility - for my actions and words. That though is a conversation for another day – how there is nothing like “free” freedom.

I like in principle the part about my life being “the sum result of all the choices”. I augment it and state that “my life is more than the sum of all my choices.” It cannot be that one plus one equals two. Never! Not in my life. The universe is generous and cannot be that stingy to me. There must be a multiplier somewhere - that makes my one plus one equal or larger than three. An ultimate synergetic consequence. An I hear a hallelujah?

I do not like the part about “controlling the process of choosing”. Why? Because sometimes I am unable to control the choices available or the choices I can make. Sometimes I have to satisfice and make do –which means I do not have the control – yes?

Final thought - if I do not make a choice, and give up all control, have I made a choice? A non-choice? Do non-choices have consequences?

Images;synearth.net, adoptionbirthmothers.com

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