“Each decision you make today has the potential to open the doors to profitable benefits or close the door to great opportunities. Think before you act and make your decisions wisely today.” -DeWayne Owen.

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Ray Bradbury illustrated the above quote through his piece “The Sound of Thunder,” an example of when being inconsiderate of deeds could lead to significant consequences.  In the story lays the existence of time travel — an invention that potentially makes or breaks the pinnacle of human achievements. Eckels, the protagonist, is offered an opportunity of any hunter’s dream– to kill a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The touch of a feather on a puddle, a ripple made in the adventure–a flap of a butterfly, creates a catastrophic tsunami of Eckels’ life. Hence, the awareness of the consequences of actions is crucial for the future.

The ability of awareness in one’s affairs, minor or major, to consider consequences before doing–a virtue unpossessed by most. However, small actions could result in severe outcomes when this skill is disregarded. In the context of “The Sound of Thunder”, before entering the time machine, Travis, the wise and experienced traveler, instructs Eckels to be conscientious concerning the past. He specifies that “a little error [there would multiply in six million years” (Bradbury, 5) and states, “messing around in time can make a big roar or little rustle in history” (Bradbury, 5). Of a broader context, he reveals a theme or moral that could apply to not only the story, but life–actions of all sizes could have vital outcomes. The toss of a cigarette could potentially begin a wildfire, activating the red button could establish a real-life fifth wave. Prior to returning to the future, Travis, in reaction to Eckel stepping on the earth of the past, threatens him with his gun. To which Eckels exclaims, “I’m innocent, I’ve done nothing wrong” (Bradbury, 13). Despite Travis’ agitated reaction of Eckels’ disobedience, Eckels proceeds to believe that he is virtuous, that he “just ran off the path, that’s all, a little mud on [his] shoes” (Bradbury, 13). A simple pause, a thought about the consequences of stepping off the path, would have prevented the tragic results of the literature –the extinction of butterflies, altering history, and the death of Eckels. The disobedience of Eckels, the inattentive move to contact the past world, though unrealistic, demonstrates the butterfly effect: awareness of actions, no matter what size, has affects on the future.

The metal pathway, a symbolic representation of thoughts. The action of withdrawing yourself from the path, stepping into a world without considering consequences, the butterfly effect. Regret is inevitable, the remorseful feeling that you should have studied for an exam or washed your hands before COVID befell upon you. As William Shockley said, “Regret is unnecessary. Think before you act,” together, we must begin thinking before doing, taking impactful steps to make the utopian world a reality.