Timing has a major effect in all aspects of life.
We’ve all experienced it; we’ve all missed out on something or avoided disaster based on timing – sometimes involving a matter of seconds. And it’s thoroughly unpredictable, and most often only noticeable after something influenced by timing has transpired.
Think about it; the possibilities for our lives to be affected by timing – both positively and negatively – are endless. That said, here are a scant few examples.
You’re at an airport waiting for your flight and receive a call from your boss indicating you’re needed at the office pronto, so you respond to the request and leave. Later you see on the news that the plane you didn’t board crashed and all its passengers and crew were killed.
You’re more than halfway across the country from where you lie and you’re enjoying visiting a landmark or theme park. Suddenly, you hear someone say your name. You turn around and are greeted by someone you work with in your hometown.
You go to one of your favorite restaurants intending to order the cedar planked salmon dish that a specific cook always prepares so perfectly. But when you mention that to your server, you’re told that cook got off for the day about 10 minutes earlier.
You open a door separating from one section of your company’s office space to another, and someone is on the other side about to do the same thing. You’re both startled and then laugh and say something silly.
You’re at a professional sports competition and nature calls. While you’re away from your seat taking care of business, you miss the go-ahead three-run homer, the game-changing touchdown or the half-court buzzer-beating basket.
You buy some stock or precious metal and the next day, the value goes way up.
You’re at a grocery store and go to the spot where your favorite brand of orange juice or lemonade is displayed, and you literally watch someone grab the last bottle and place it in their cart.
You get up from a slot machine you’ve been playing for about a half hour. A woman takes your place, puts in one coin and wins a massive jackpot.
You’re panning for gold on a stream in California or Montana and decide to take a break. A woman takes your place and almost immediately lets out a holler. You later hear that she found a 10-ounce nugget.
You take a vacation to a beach you’ve been planning for a year. When you arrive at your destination, the conditions are cool and damp. The person at the resort accommodations counter says, “you shoulda been here yesterday; it was perfect.”
You’re in a city and in a bit of a hurry to get somewhere, and you’re on a freeway trying to make it on time. Suddenly all the cars in front of you slow to a crawl and you see a bunch of flashing lights because of a crash that has taken place. You know you’ll be late and wish you were about a half a mile further down the road.
You’re in the house and your wife on the front porch yells, “there it is!” You hurry outside and she describes how the cougar you’ve both seen in the past was standing at the side of the driveway and ducked into the woods. You go back inside to get your camera, and hear her yell, “there it goes!” When you go back outside, she points toward the forest and describes how the big cat was bounding away in that direction and went out of sight. This one actually happened to me last year.
Anyway, as I often say, “it’s all in the timing.”
Whether it’s good or bad, that’s just the way it is.
