You know, when I was in grade school, it seemed we were all on a level playing field. The groundwork was laid early on, and we all had the same potential. Sure, you could tell the smart kids, who had good families. You could tell the kids with no motivation or passion as well. The choices we made from that point on, sculpted our lives. I see some of these "smart" kids now, and their successful lives. They went on to college after high school, just like they had planned. Some kids took the easy road into mediocrity and obscurity. Their lives are a never-ending, self-inflicted, roller coaster of meaningless mistakes and regrets. The sad part is, all of us were in the lunch room together. We all had the same opportunities and chances. We all laughed and played together, and we all recall our own idiosyncrasies and imperfections. The difference between the kids who turned out good, and the kids that didn't, were CHOICES. You can't take back the last twenty years of bad choices. And some people are stuck in a habitual, endless loop of self-destruction. I wish so much that I had been one of the "smart" kids that made the right moves in life.