As We Get Older, Time Feels Increasingly Important
If you’re a regular reader, you probably know I’m a third-generation Tottenham supporter. My father has been a season ticket holder since he was a boy, and his father before him as well. Dad doesn’t come to as many matches now, being 83, but there’s one sports event we still attend religiously every summer.
For the last 10 years, Dad and I have applied every year for tickets to Lord’s for the Test Match. It’s difficult sometimes, with his age and my work, but we always manage to get away. We prepare a hamper, take our seats in
the sun and spend the day there. A good time is had by all.
This year, we managed to get tickets to two matches: South Africa and the West Indies.
From our point of view, it’s nice to see fantastic sport, but as the years go by, it becomes more about quality time.
We don’t often get that opportunity, especially being so busy at work. I certainly value the principle of working hard and playing hard, and beyond that, I value time spent with family.
It’s especially important because my parents have been fantastic to me.
Mum and Dad are incredibly loving, both to me and my children — their grandchildren, of course.
They have both been a huge inspiration for their work in the community, as years ago they set up JAMI, a charity that supports those who suffer from mental illness. I have a huge amount of respect for them and all they have both achieved.
We’ll probably go every year, for as many years as we can. For now, he’s perfectly able to sit in the sun with me.
Normally we pack a hamper, but this year I ordered a luxury one to be collected on the day at Lords. It was stuffed
full of goodies, but it was so hot on the day, we didn’t feel like eating much.
Cricket is very much dependent on the weather, more so than football.
But that’s quite like life, isn’t it?
We are all susceptible to the weather of life. Events like storms happen without our control. There’s an element of luck to the circumstances we’re placed in.
That’s why I’m a firm believer in having the right insurance. You can’t adequately plan for everything that happens to you. The day before we went to Lords, the forecast was really miserable and it seemed the match could be rained off. Instead, it turned out to be the hottest day of the year, and we sizzled.
There would have been little way to plan for that.
The seats themselves were also a matter of luck. What if we hadn’t been able to get tickets? We’ve been lucky to get them every year, and even luckier that nothing has happened in 10 years to prevent us from going on our day.
I obviously deal a lot in insurance, and I see some downright unlucky things happen to good people. It’s quite a relief for them when they’re able to weather the storms of life because their bases are covered.
Have a lovely September!
