Press "Enter" to skip to content

5 Ordinary Folks And The Lives They’d Pick For Themselves If They Could Start All Over Again

A do-over. A mulligan. A fresh start. We all think about how we’d pick differently in life if given a second chance, and most people seem to know exactly how they’d use it.

1. Jacob Gann (Raleigh, NC)

If this auto mechanic could hit a reset button and do it all from the beginning, he definitely would’ve pursued acting, landed a role in The Usual Suspects, and gotten that 1995 Best Supporting Actor Oscar he always wanted.

2. Tim Laughlin (St. Paul, MN)

When this claims adjuster looks in the mirror every morning, he sees a man who should be starring in a hit Netflix show while also acting as a spokesman for E*Trade in a currently airing series of mildly entertaining television commercials. If only he were given a chance.

3. Kelli Shields (Prairie du Chien, WI)

If this hair stylist could travel back in time and start over, she’d be on her way to 2004, where she’d play Bobby Darin in Beyond The Sea, even if her decision to do her own singing would be widely panned by critics.

4. Doug Lewis (Plano, TX)

Fifteen years ago, this algebra teacher would have said that if he could do it all over again, he would have gotten his master’s degree or married his high school sweetheart. But then K-PAX came out.

5. Sarah Jensen (Fresno, CA)

What would this administrative assistant do if given a second chance at building her life from the ground up? She’d host SNL twice—once in 1997 with musical guest Beck, and again while promoting her work in Superman Returns in 2006 with musical guest Nelly Furtado. Total no-brainer there!

Brought to you by Redd’s Apple Ale