We live in an age when we want immediate, downloadable media at our fingertips, yet we are still entertained in an increasingly old-fashioned manner by actually sitting down and glueing our eyes to a TV screen.   Yet, we don't want to be bothered by having to truly be in our recliners or stretched out on the couch at a particular time of day or night.  Hence, the rise of the DVR.   Okay, I admit it.  I DVR. . .a lot.  Why?  I seem to have an inability to be home when my TV shows are on. . .and I hate commercials. . .and possibly I watch way too much boob tube (it is important to the free world who wins Top Chef!).  I'm sure these reasons--and many more--are what fuel others, as well. 

However, a peculiar phenomonem has been recurring:  the desire to DVR snapshots of my life.  As I was listening to Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring on the radito this morning, I caught myself wishing to rewind it.  Numerous times I've literally thought, "just let me hit the rewind. . ." only to realize I was viewing live action that was, well, live.  Was that a three-legged deer running across the road?  Here, let me back the tape up--oops, can't do that.

 All of that got me to thinking.  What if I could DVR events from my life?  Which ones would fast forward through, and which others would I replay over and over again?  So, what do you think?  Can you choose just one of each?  To start things rolling, I'll tell you mine.

The event in my life I'd first like to fast forward through is when I told an ex-wife goodbye, as in I'm leaving.  It's not so much that painful episode haunts me as much as it is I've always wanted to get beyond the hurt I caused, to not see the fear and anguish in her face, not unlike the deer in the headlights look.  If my fastforwarding could ease that time in her life, I'd gladly hit the button. 

 As for the moment I'd love to replay continuously, that was a more difficult choice.  Choosing just one episode out of years of smiles and laughs is akin to picking one play out of a season of baseball to represent your team.  But, I did it.  For awhile, I was a stay-at-home-dad, and I was fortunate enough to see my youngest daughter take her very first steps.  She had been able to stand on her own for weeks, but every time she thought about walking, she'd drop down to her hands and knees.  On this fateful morning, however, she stood up, hanging on to the love seat; then she spied the stuffed animal on the coffee table across the den--about 15 feet away--and launched herself in a stilting, drunken sailor manner, lurching toward the animal.  I was in total awe and wept.  I still see her smile when she made it, grabbed the animal, and turned to look at me.  That is one moment I will always rerun in my head.  Come to think of it, we do have pretty good mental DVRs at our disposal.

 So, anyone care to share their best and worst moments?