Friday, February 03, 2006

What's your Groundhog Day?

Doing a Groundhog Day post the day after Groundhog Day... it just loses something. You'll have to forgive me though. Robert Scorpio is back on General Hospital! (Xinh, Pia, are you reading this?) After seeing that last night on SoapNet, I was shocked beyond coherence for the rest of the night.

My idea is based on the premise of the movie Groundhog Day, which I'm sure many of you have seen. In the movie, the main character keeps waking up to the same day over and over. So my question is, if you had to pick one day of your life to live over and over again, which day would you pick?

So I asked myself this question. Which day would I pick? Which is another reason I never blogged this yesterday. I couldn't decide on one day. Now I'm aware that most of us would not want to live the same day over and over. But just for the sake of a blog entry. I thought about doing a top ten days that I would pick. But no, that would not be fair. If I'm asking you to pick just one, then I have to pick one as well.

I thought of many days I could easily pick here. I considered days when I was a kid. And life was carefree. And my grandmothers were alive. I considered the day I got engaged. I considered vacations. Fourth of July in New York. California. My first time to fly. Road trips. Beach trips. Any day spent at the beach is a good day. That is where I feel the most peaceful and at ease. I considered the day she and I went to Six Flags, and all the way there, it poured like I think it only can in the summertime in the South. I drove my Jeep, which had no AC, and we couldn't take the top off because of the rain, so I just took the back window out. And the rain kept the crowds away. And we were soaking wet and in love. And on the way back we did things you really should not do in rest area parking lots. Yeah. I considered that day a lot.

But I had to decide on one. So I decided that I would pick my 26th birthday. I don't remember a lot about the early part of the day. It was a Friday, which is always good. I just remember the evening. She had planned a surprise birthday party for me. And I had no idea. Those few seconds... Walking into a restaurant. Seeing a couple of your friends. Thinking how odd it is to run into them there. Then almost in the same instant seeing more of your friends and realizing exactly what is happening. Those are priceless. That feeling of complete surprise is rare and indescribable.

So there you have it. It doesn't feel like I picked the right day. But I don't think it ever would. I guess I went with more of a fun, light-hearted day. Everyday would be my birthday. That seems a bit selfish. But the main reason I picked that day is because most all of my friends were there. Along with my sister and my closest cousin. And I'm sure I saw my parents at some point during the day. And to relive a day over and over where you get to see so many people you care about and enjoy being around. Well, that's not bad. That's not bad at all.

So what about you? If you had to pick one day of your life to relive over and over, to be your Groundhog Day, which would it be? And why? It's harder than you might think. At least it was for me. Feel free to blog it yourself or leave it in the comments. Or both :-)

Have a super weekend!

"I don't care if Monday's blue. Tuesday's gray and Wednesday, too. Thursday, I don't care about you. It's Friday, I'm in love..."

29 comments:

  1. Okay, when I saw the movie the thing was that he was reliving the day over and over until he finally got it right. After a few times he finally figured out that he was supposed to get it right and then had to keep trying.
    But you wanted to relive the best day of your life. So I'm torn...do I want to relive the best day of my life or relive the day I want most to do over and get it right?

    I think there are many days that I would like to re-do and get right, but then would I be where I am now?

    If I had to relive the best day...that's tough to choose too. I know most married women are going to say the day they got married or the day they had their babies...but for me both of those days fall into the re-do to get it right catagory.
    So my best day would have to be one of the days from my honeymoon or one from our trip to Hawaii (nah, scratch the Hawaii...that's a re-do too!) Ooooh! The day that I got engaged was very good too.

    See this is a really loaded question. ;)

    Oh! I answered your question from last week on my Thursday 13
    http://lillyput.blogspot.com

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  2. This is very difficult. I would have to say it would be a day when I was on the beach. That's the best place to be. I want to think it would be a beach day either in Jamaica with Decade Guy or a beach day with Decade Guy and my friends in the Outer Banks. But, the more I think about it, the best beach days were with my dad. Just the two of us frying our white butts off for the entire day. Going into the ocean together, jumping waves, building sand castles, and of course my dad manning the camera only to come home with tons of pics of me on the beach. He would walk the beach first thing in the a.m. and bring critters back for me to see. My mom was not too happy about that. Beach days usually ended at the Jolly Roger amusment park, another thing my dad and I did often together. I can't pick a specific day, but most of our family vacations went like this. Thanks, and now I need a tissue.

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  3. Xinh: I'm not really sure about Felicia. I saw her on there a time or two last year. It was a new actress though, not Kristina Wagner. The soapcentral site is pretty good for giving a general character synopsis, but doesn't say much about Felicia recently. I think she's still on there, just not often.

    Renee: Yes, it is a loaded question. And you're right about the movie. It was originally a bad day for him. I just looked at it from this angle. Can think of several bad days I would redo, but like you, I think that would be changing the course of time.

    Carnealian: Great comment. I figured this would be a good one to make people think, and hopefully bring to mind some fond memories. Family vacations. Yeah. I thought about a couple of those, too.

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  4. ok...my day is the day before I left Madrid to come back to the states. It was three days before graduation and it was an amazing and drunken night. I knew that this would be the most fun I've ever had in college and that it would end much too soon. But I wish, I could do that day over and over again, because it was the last day that I could be completely irresponsible.

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  5. Believe that Felica went to take care of her grandmother---who should be 200 in soap years

    Can't remember if Kristina Wagner and what's his name who played Frisco are divorced in real life or not

    Can't pick one perfect day; like to think the most perfect day is still coming

    But there is the pesky parent problem--would like them to be included and uh that would be in another world

    Can I pick a James Frey day? Only mine would be real--just made into one day

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  6. Hey no worries - your favorite day is special to you! I'm just a little worried because every song lyric you have ever posted at the end of your blog entries I've known. Should I be worried?

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  7. If it's a day you get to do over until you get it right...

    July 4, 1997.

    I drove from Tuscaloosa to Phoenix City, Alabama to pick him up and bring him back with me to meet his brother. I don't remember why he was in Phoenix City that day (other than he had friends there) or why I had to bring him back to Tuscloosa, where he no longer lived. All I remember is the ride back and knowing it was over, and this was it. The last time I would see him.

    He had moved away from me to Charlotte the previous year for a job, then on to Gainsville. The day he left, my heart was torn into. I have never known anything like it before or since.

    We tried to make it work. We both made mistakes. We tried some more. And then we fell apart.

    I made a mistake I couldn't get past. On the way back that day, he forgave me. But I could not forgive myself.

    It was a sunny day, and I had my uncle's converable. We had the top down on it and were on a back road. By all appearances, we probably looked like two young fools in love, enjoying a carefree day.

    I left him at my apartment knowing when I returned he would be gone, and I went to work. When I returned that evening, there was a letter. I still have the letter, and I pull it out from time to time. To remember that someone amazing once loved me that much.

    I still think about that day from time to time. If I could live a day over, I would have read that letter, and I would have gone after him and I would have never let him go.

    Then, as in the movie when he finally gets it right, the next day would be new. And every day after that, we would be together.

    If it was meant to have been that way, I guess it would be. But still I think...

    And now I too, am weeping in my office. It's amazing how strong a feeling can be after so long.

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  8. Hum...wow - that was long. If you want to preserve space...take it off..it can be a post on my blog!

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  9. Heather: Yes, any day with no responsibility, I could go for.

    Pia: Yes, a James Frey day. Was that the day you got out of prison? ;-)

    And it's Jack Wagner. And last I knew, they were still married.

    Audra: Yeah, I'd probably be a little worried. You don't wanna be too much like me ;-)

    Tenacious One: I would not dare take that down. That was amazing. Thanks for sharing.

    I liked the "by all appearances" part. Interesting how your world can be falling apart and no one have a clue. Interesting and very true.

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  10. Congratulations, Bone! This is the first interesting post you've had in, well, eons. LOL

    Great post, nonetheless. It made me think about all the really good days I've had and then the bad ones that I wish I could do over and over until I got them right.

    Having a son, I will elect to choose a day other than the most obvious. Nothing could replace the moment you hear your baby cry for the first time. (Anything could replace the moment you hear your baby cry for the second time though!)

    I'm torn between picking the best day and the one that I wish I had gotten right. I must choose the latter.

    Funny that she worked at the same fast food joint where this occurred. I ran into a really good friend of mine. She (not to be confused with she) and I communicated on a regular basis. It was obvious that she wanted to go out with me but I was too shy to take the steps necessary for it to happen. Don't know why, just didn't.

    Well, we were both seniors in different high schools and we ran into each other at the fast food joint better known for its ice cream. We began talking about the senior prom and she explicitly offered to go with me to mine. I declined for no other reason than I just didn't care about going.

    I would do virtually anything to have that opportunity back so that I could change my answer. I think things could have turned out much differently for us. As it is, we were the best of friends for many years until I got the urge to marry her. We no longer talk.

    Yes, that would be the day I would like to live over and over again until I got it right.

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  11. Hmm... I think I would relive the day that I enjoyed as my wedding day. (Girl answer- sue me!) I pick this day b/c it was perfect. It was exactly what we wanted. The beach was perfect, good hair day, the love of my life and I were united forever, friends and family all around, and of course, I looked amazing! *LOL*

    **Advice to anyone planning a wedding ever: Do what YOU want to do, no matter what anyone tells you. YOU are the only one that will be talking about your wedding for years to come so make it your memory, not what someone else wants for you.

    The day I would choose to change is the last day I saw my grandmother alive. She was sleeping, so I didn't wake her to tell her goodbye as I left. She passed away a few days later. The last thing she told me was not to move away. I did anyway. Regret? Not really, b/c I know she would be proud of me now.

    Ok, so maybe I should have blogged this myself. Thanks Bone! *hugs*

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  12. I guess I just keep thinking about the book.
    Unlike the movie, in the book, he relived that day for over a year. Like Renee, I'm torn. . . would I relive the best day of my life so far . . . or the day I wish I could change?

    I'll go with the best.
    I was 20 and so in love, I couldn't see straight.
    Jeff and I had spent the entire day doing nothing but making love, then we hurridly threw on bathing suits, went and picked up his two little nephews (ages 3 and 8 months) and took them to my apartment's pool.
    We spent the evening splashing with the kids, kissing when the three year old was under water and finally going back to the apartment and falling asleep with the children between us.

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  13. Although most of the female answers on here strike a familier theme,I want to be a part of this historic blog,so after careful consideration I have to pick the day I first saw my husband,which is also the first day we kissed.I have relived those memories over and over in my mind a thousand times.We knew from across the lawn this was it,two sad fragile broken hearts from two broken marriages brought together by fate.As for days to live over until you get it right,well like most there are too many to pick from and mine also would largely involve my grandparents.

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  14. Ooh this would have been an excellent question for Tell It To Me Tuesday, somnething I do on my site. I wish I had thought of it!:(

    As for days I'd like to relive the one day off the top of my head was the first time I saw That Thing You Do in theaters. I'm a dork, I know.

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  15. I think mine would be, that first night you and I did our first radio/internet/podcast back in Nov 2005. That was so hilarious!

    I can't wait until we get national syndication on XM or Sirius satellite radio!

    ~K

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  16. hi...i like ur post :)
    so this is my day i'd like to re live



    April 10th 2004. That would be my day .....It was the perfect weirdest out of my world kinda day....if was the 2nd day i met my 1st and current bf...that was when I realised I was in love with him....it was weird....I remembered we went into a pet store and he was talking with the sales clerk about something dealing with sience ( I'm clueless when it comes to that cause I'm a business student) so anyway I got jealous and walked out of the store, when i got out in my head I asked myself what was wrong to me LOL.....off course he didn't know that's why I walked out....but he did follow me right after LOL....anyway then we were goin up the elculator in the mall he loooked at me and said that's a nice postion ur standing in...he was refering to my ass....anyway lol....I could go on and on about that day....it was the best day i ever spent with him... :)

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  17. Spanky: Looking forward to it.

    Bzzz: Well, at least you're happily married now. All's well that ends well.

    Groovy: Yeah, once you hit 1000 words, you should probably consider putting it on your own blog ;-)

    Meghan: Well I don't know the fellow, but he sounds like a cool guy :) And yeah, that love-affected-vision thing. I've been there.

    Buckeyefan: Ah, yes. First kisses always make good memories. I'm glad I did this post. Not crazy about what I wrote, but I'm really enjoying everyone's comments and stories.

    Janet: Well, that's different, for sure :-) Thanks for stopping by.

    Java: I'm glad you're only kidding. Otherwise that would be really sad.

    Riddler: That sounds like a splendid day.

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  18. I'm so glad you picked the first day we met! That would have to be your favorite day to relive over and over. Ha! Ha!


    Lil Bootay

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  19. I'll take this meme and link back to you on my site. It's too long for comments. But I think the day I'd love to relive would be the day I met my soulmate. The first time I heard his voice, felt the strength of his arms, and the smile on my children's face as they also recognized the man who was meant to be their daddy. Good times, Good times.

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  20. Bone, ah babe . . . he was so not a cool guy.
    Hence the blinded.
    He was the one . . . well, you know the story. Let's just say this . . "that's just my baby daddy".
    And your memory should fill in the rest.

    BUT . . I was so inspired by your post, that I continued it. I played out the memory more fully on my site. You're such an inspiration, sweetie!

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  21. Lil Bootay: Haha. Yes, that was the first day we met. I forgot you were there. (Kidding.)

    Dorothy: Very sweet thoughts. Yes, feel free to use it on your blog.

    Meghan: Oh, OK. I actually thought after I commented back that might be who it was. Was never completely happy with the day I picked, but it was cool to see what this post made everyone else think of.

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  22. Wow, what a great question.
    My answer could be so long so perhaps I'll make it my own post.

    A day to live over, or a day to get right? Great choices. I'll have to spend more time thinking of my answer....

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  23. my day. i figured out the one i would do over because it was good. the last real day i spent with the boy i once thought was The One. he moved away and after we moved him in we just hung out all day. explored his new surroundings, were together. both knowing that things would probably never be the same after i left him there the next day, but not thinking about all that..just being together and enjoying eachother was how we spent the whole day. and i'd redo that day, because i feel like even though it was a couple of years ago now..it was really the last time i did anything just to do it. now i consider every angle, i consider the good, the bad, i worry about every angle of everything..i no longer just do anything. and i miss that about myself. and while i read over this, i feel like that whole post seemed sad. and to a point, it is, yet i want to thank you for asking a question that i've considered over the last few days. and one that i have used as a goal to think less and do more. and hey--my favorite question..what are the 5 things you want to do before you die? (saying that could be next week or 60 years from now)..

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  24. My Groundhog Day

    The day I would probably live over and over happened a few years back. I cannot remember the exact date, but I know it was in spring. Somewhere in the realm of April. There was a girl I liked, a lot. She worked with me in the design department the early part of that year. She was pretty, smart, funny, and into a lot of the things I liked. She made me take chances, and come out of my shell more than most of my friends at that time.

    It was a Saturday, and the city blocked up a section of the main street in downtown K-town for the Rossini Festival. A festival celebrating the opera composer Rossini [that's the extent of my knowledge of the man, sorry]. We had talked early in the week about going. I had just offhandedly mentioned it. I spoke of going with a friend of mine, and his wife. I was unsure at this point how this girl felt about me. I knew for damn sure that I harbored feelings. When I mentioned going with my friends, she said that she would like to go. So I invited her, and her closest friend to go with us. Well, my friends ended up backing out. They usually did that when the wife got involved. So here I was, going to this festival with this girl I really liked, and her best friend. I wasn't sure what the hell I was getting myself into.

    On Saturday, I got a phone call from her at about 5:00 pm. Everything up to this point is irrelevant. I think I slept in very late. Which was fairly common for a weekend at this time. I met up with them at her apartment. I decided I would drive because I wanted them to have a good time, and drink without having to worry about driving home. I had enough drinking experience [boy does that ever sound bad] under my belt to know how to drink, but still remain sober.

    We got there a little late. I met up with my contact at the opera, and he gave us some free tickets for beer and wine. I used to do a ton of design work for the opera, and they gave me all kinds of opportunities like that. Free tickets to shows, anything I wanted that they were involved in. So we got the tickets, and made our way round. We drank a little. Most places were shutting down, so we did not get to hang out there very long. THE girl invited me to go drinking with her and her friend once the festival was said and done. We hit a bar, where the two of them planned on singing Karaoke later. I had no plans on singing. I don't care how much I liked her. That just ain't me. So we drank a healthy amount, and talked. They finally got to sing, and begged me to come up on stage. I said no, that I would keep the bar company. They got up there, pretty much hammered, and proceeded to yell in the mic, telling me to get my butt on stage with them. I sat there, and just laughed at them. There was a guy sitting up the bar a little from me. He said "are either of those girls your girlfriend or sister?" I replied "no." He said "I figured, cause you'd be up there if they were." He kept hitting on the best friend, which was good cause it got me some alone time with THE girl. By the end of the night she kept telling me that she was worried that I was not having a good time. I told her I was. At this time she was facing me, leaning towards me. Like she was going to put her head on my shoulder, but never did.

    We finally got up and out of there, heading back to her apartment. They fussed at me the whole ride home for not drinking more. Age had taught me better. I was only two years older than these two girls, but two years is a lot when you drank like I did at that time. We finally got back to her apartment. I pull up behind some cars, and don't kill the engine. THE girl asks me to come up to her apartment with them. I politely said no, that I had better get home. In my mind I was thinking that she was drunk, and I did not want her to regret anything she did whilst being wasted. I am not saying anything would have happened. I just did not want to put myself in that position where I would have to say no if I felt she was too out of her gourd to realize what she was doing. I just did not have a good feeling about the situation. I could tell her friend did not like me at all. Before her friend shut the door, THE girl said "I love you" to me. I just froze. I sat there for a minute trying to figure out what I should do. Should I go up there with them? Should I head on home? Hell, should I ask her to repeat herself? I decided that she was too drunk, and again I did not want her to regret anything in the morning.

    She may have not felt any regret, but I sure did. It never was the same with her after that night. I tried a few more times to go out with her, but it was in vain. We had lunch quite a few times, but officially dating seemed not to be an option. For a long time I racked my brain, pondering the ever-famous "what if?" A few months later I retreated to North Carolina to clear my thoughts of her.

    I told some of my friends about what happened. Usually when I got to the part about taking them home, they all asked "you hit it?" I say that to straighten out that that was not my intention, and that is not what I regret most about that night. That is not the reason why I would live that day over and over again. "Hitting it" was not what I wanted that night. Just some sort of connection between us, that wasn't made while she was drunk. If she had been sober, and still asked me up I would have gone in a heartbeat. Not to "tap it," just to be around her. I know there were signs, but through the veil of drunkenness I was not sure how true they were. Every once in a while I think about that night, and wonder if my life would be any different now if I had gone up. She was one that I felt very strongly for, some feelings came after that night. If I could live one day over and over, it would be that night. Mainly because it was a great day. I had a lot of fun, as much as it sounds like I didn't. There was much more to the night, but I feel like I have said enough, if not too much. That one is the only one that sticks out in my head. Not in a dirty, "tapping it" sort of way. Just a curiosity.

    I hope I haven't rambled on too much.

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  25. Mappy: I had to think a long time about mine, too. And still don't think I picked the right day. Might do a day I wish I could go back and get right later.

    AW: That sounds like a wonderful day. I don't just up and do things on the spur of the moment as much as I used to, either.

    Big man: Wow. Yeah, I can see how you would replay that night over and over and over again in your mind.

    Sometimes I wonder if girls are actually more honest when they are drunk, telling you what they really think but would never say sober. I don't suppose that helps you any :-)

    I had this one particular girl who would tell me when she was drunk that she'd have my babies. My theory is that saying it three times drunk equals to one time sober.

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  26. I think you're right. I'll have to remember that equation: 3D = 1S. :) Thanks!

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  27. You know what? I commented on this post that I had done it... But it was the 5th. The day Blogger melted a bit? Yeah. That's why. Hi! I read you and I decided to take a suggestion. Thank you for the suggestion. :)

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  28. Big Man: LOL Yes, just make it a rule. She'll never know.

    Darkneuro: Yeah, seems like Blogger has been having more issues lately. Several people have mentioned not being able to comment. Enjoyed your post on this.

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  29. I would choose the Saturday before my boyfriend and I split up. We both agree, even now that it was the perfect day. We hung out making kids party food, went to a football match, went out for dinner. I ended that day in blissful happiness...if only I'd known it was to be cut short the next day...

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