Like tipping dominos, every decision we make triggers a chain reaction of events or consequences that either fall into place neatly like alphabetically aligned books on a shelf or out of place chaotically like a carpet of confetti on New Year’s morning.  We can make mindful decisions that are well thought out for intentional outcomes or we can make our choices hastily without giving them a second thought.

In the Writer’s Digest Feb 2021 article: Plot Twist Story Prompts: Forced Decisions, Author/ Editor, Robert Lee Brewer says the following:   How characters handle making decisions reveals a lot about them. Some people seem born to make decisions without a second thought to whether they’re right or wrong. Others agonize over the tiniest decisions and will shut down if given the chance. Whether small or large, each decision we make sends action ripples forward, altering the elevation, length or direction of our own individual path or someone else’s.

Take for instance, Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, in which two conflicting paths in the woods serve as a metaphor for making important life decisions.  The speaker in this poem ultimately chooses “the road less traveled by”, -a decision that “has made all the difference” pointing toward how a single decision at any intersection or junction can determine the entire trajectory of one’s life or at least an important part of it.

Complicating this further, as much as we like to think our decisions will affect only ourselves, they are not stand alone dominoes, each one an island, isolated and insignificant.  Every choice we make could impact other individuals and their stories or their part in ours, from family and friends to community, society and the world.  That first domino touches the next one, and the next one touches the one after that and so on.  One small decision, prompted by a single seemingly unimportant thought, idea, or judgment could invoke anywhere from a minor ramification to a colossal aftershock beyond repair.  Sometimes we might know that in advance and other times the consequences take us completely by surprise.

 As we know, an action does not become an action without a thought to trigger it, however; in between the tiny space between the two is the decision directing us like a crossing guard with the ability to prevent or cause catastrophe. And further, supporting the thoughts that impact our decisions, there are the contributing variables that further influence outcomes, some positive like faith, love, friendship, grace, mercy, and so forth and others that can easily generate negative results, like the need for immediate gratification, selfishness, greed, pride, sloth and so many more -each resulting decision serving as the first domino in a line of dependents. 

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus makes the decision to defend Tom Robinson, despite realizing he likely won’t win, attesting to his strong morals and belief that equality should prevail over racism. He further chooses compassion over the law when he covers for Boo to avoid destroying another man’s life.  Additionally, the jury engages in collective decision-making when they subscribe to racial prejudice rather than actual evidence. And of course we have Boo Radley himself who makes the self- sacrificing decision to save innocent children from Bob Ewell’s acts of evil.  All of these decisions are influenced by contributing factors like courage, ethics, morals, societal conformity, injustice, racism and more- both positive and negative.

In F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the naive and narrow-minded pursuit of the American Dream, the need to feel accepted in society, and the quest to follow love although blindly and irresponsibly, drive the characters’ decisions. Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom make careless decisions nurtured by reckless ideas of love and desire, selfishness and a tainted view of the world and one another. 

In E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web:  Charlotte makes the decision to save Wilber out of loyalty, selflessness, love and friendship while at first Wilbur makes no decision, remaining passive- depending on others, until later when he makes the decision to care for Charlotte’s children in a chain reaction set in motion by Charlotte’s first carefully and strategically positioned domino inspired by love, friendship and loyalty at play.

In Victor Hugo’s Les Miserable, the characters learn the value of individual choices that have the ability to  transform life and society, choosing between redemption and  safety, between the law and mercy, compassion and self-interest, love and self survival, love and duty. Each character faces a struggle that comes with difficult decision-making -each one affecting another character’s personal confrontation with adversity. As Hugo writes;  “ The straight line is a respectable optical illusion which ruins many a man”.  In other words, nothing is black or white or easy.  One tipped domino might cause a chain reaction of ripples that can save or destroy lives.

And in one of my favorite stories, Frank Capra’s movie; It’s a Wonderful Life,  George Bailey must make self sacrificing decision after decision for the sake of those he loves and the small town he always thought he wanted to leave behind for “greener pastures”. Each of the dominoes he generously and selflessly sets up affects so many others, revealing the far-reaching deep impact of each one of his decisions, opening eyes to the more important purposes in life:  love, friendship, faith and family.

Even within the greatest narrative of all time, the Holy Bible, there are stories to reflect the varying consequences related to decision making that result in life changing outcomes.  Some of these include the Jericho prostitute Rehab’s decision  to hide Joshua’s spies despite the extreme risk to her life and family,  the decision made by  Paul from Tarsus to follow Jesus after at first persecuting Jesus and his followers, Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey God’s command not to bite the forbidden fruit,  Daniel’s decision to choose faith in God over fear for his life, David’s decision to face the Giant with only a stone and a sling as his weapon, Joseph’s decision to believe in Mary’s faithfulness and virginity so that he could father the Son of God, Moses’ decision to chose his Jewish heritage over the Egyptian protection he had grown up with,  and Abraham’s reluctant decision to obey God’s command to potentially sacrifice his beloved son Isaac.  This decision making in the bible that requires active faith and trust in God, always difficult, sometimes agonizing and yet not impossible, demonstrates how one domino has the power to affect other dominoes lined up in its path. Psalm 119:105, reads “your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”, signifying that decisions should honor God’s word, which serves as a guide for life’s path.   It is our responsibility to decide and act obediently while God takes care of the associated outcomes; our decisions are influenced by what we place and nurture inside us to ultimately determine the journey ahead.

Whether we are the authors of our own life stories or of the fictional stories we create, setting up the first domino at the start of the line, we are the ones in control, the ones to whom our creator gifted free will, decision-making and fate. Whether we realize the effects that first domino placement will have on our own part in our own story or the effects our decisions will have on others who take part somewhere else in our story or in their own story, in the end it is ALL about how and where we place each decision-making domino that matters. Each one of those dominoes decides the connecting fate awaiting each of us or our characters in the last line of our story as the final domino either topples over in disappointing or tragic outcome or remains standing, ever-faithful, righteous, hopeful and strong.