Part 1 of 3

Groundhog Day

Many of you will have seen the film, Groundhog Day. What day would you relive over and over again, so that you could change the ending?

7 minutes. The length of the last game of polo. 7 minutes. Not 7 minutes and 30 seconds. As all games are in polo. On the bell that is it over. Sunday 13th September at 6 minutes and 50 seconds. Wham. Colin's life changed. 10 seconds before the end of the game, 10 seconds before the end of the match, 10 seconds before the final bell of the season. 10 seconds. No ones fault. An accident. But what if? What id Colin had taken 11 seconds longer to tack up? Would it still have happened? What if we had taken 11 seconds longer at lunhc? 11 seconds longer driving to Dalmahoy? Would they have been in the same place at the same time.

You know what I mean, or maybe you don't? Is life pre-ordained. Would it have made any different? I don't know.

If he had worn the other hat, if he had polished his boots, if I had I said my prayers the night before. Just the thoughts that go through my head at 315 in the morning most days. What ifs.

Things you can't change. Was it written somewhere that 6 minutes and 50 seconds in that chukka, that this would happen. At 6 minutes and 49 seconds, life was good. Colin was doing something he loved. It had been the perfect Sunday. A delicious lunch with friends, laughter and much polo gossip. Stories, horses all sound, a miracle at the best of times. Wham, 6 minutes and 50 seconds.

Groundhog day.

But it is groundhog day for all at the southern general.

The young diver who had the benz, what if he had not decided to dive that day? The young driver that had rolled his car three times and wrapped himself around the tree. What if he had taken the other road. What if I hadn't gone to that party with christine 30 odd years ago, well I would not have met Colin, had three beautiful girls, a life a would not change for a 6 carat diamond.No really, I wouldn't. So no, not what ifs. Life is mapped out for us, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish that time had just stood still at 6minutes and 49 seconds. For just a little while longer.