What if?

What if…

It was 2:20 this morning when I was woken up by our new puppy. Just in time to make coffee for hubby, tea for me, and watch the T20 World Cricket match between South Africa and Bangladesh, one of the semi-final matches.

For those of you who don’t know, the T20 (twenty overs a side) format was introduced way back in 2003. Since then, there have been nine World Cup tournaments. This was the first time that South Africa has made it to the semi-finals. For South African cricket lovers, this is huge, as we are only ranked 5th in the world.

What a match it was! In the end, and after a few more cups of coffee and tea, it was a win for South Africa, and with that, we reached the finals for the first time in the T20 World Cup format.

What triggers this post of mine is not only the achievement and excitement but also the pondering. What if?

"What if?" This is a question we often ask when imagining different possibilities or alternative outcomes for current situations. It allows us to explore different scenarios and consider their impact on our lives.

“What if” becomes a type of speculation that can be both exciting and, make no mistake, thought-provoking, and with that, it can open up a world of endless possibilities.

"What if" prompts us to reflect on the paths not taken and consider how they may have shaped our present circumstances. Ultimately, it makes us think about the way our choices and actions might have influenced our future. I don’t know about you, but I often ponder over the choices I’ve made.

“What if women were allowed on the Johannesburg stock exchange when I wanted so badly to become a floor trader?”

“What if I didn’t listen to my mom and not locked my car doors the day I was nearly hijacked at the traffic light of a busy intersection?”

“What if I was not late picking up my stepson from school and, by doing so, missed a head-on collision between two cars?”

What if… What if… What if…

That brings me back to the cricket of early this morning.

What if Rashid Khan, the captain of Bangladesh, believed in himself and reverted the noise he heard to the third umpire? Would it, in the end, have changed the outcome of the match to a win for Bangladesh?

What if a "no ball" was not bowled by Bangladesh, which in the end led to a six? Could it have kept South Africa out of the final?

One thing is certain, we will never know the answer to our “what ifs.” Therefore, it is best to embrace the "what if" of our lives and embark on an adventure of endless imagination.

What is important is not to dwell too much on the "what if" situations, as it can lead to unnecessary worry or anxiety. Instead, we should use them as a learning opportunity and a way to think creatively about different possibilities.

I cannot help to wonder what my "what if's" are going to be after the finals. I suppose that only time will tell and in the end my endless imagination might just get the upperhand again.

What if…