My wife and I were on a break away and went for a walk. The route details were on a leaflet. It was about five miles through woods and across fields. Sounded fine for a mild afternoon.
We set off and soon got into our stride, not another soul anywhere to be seen - so perfect for walking and forgetting the rest of the world. For a while the pathway was alongside a small river, which we then had to cross using some stepping stones, and make our way up the side of the valley via some uneven stone steps. A reasonable climb and shouldn't have been any problem.
We were nearly to the top when my wife must have missed the step or slipped on the uneven rocks - whatever - she started to fall backwards. I was a couple of steps behind her ... it was then that time stood still!
Thoughts started flowing through my mind ...
"When my wife hits me I will fall backwards as well ... I'll hit my head on the rocks below. She will land on top of me but will still have a nasty fall ... what should I do for the best ... "
I was working out what to do and the consequences, as my wife was falling backwards so it can only have been a second, if that. I felt my back foot being lowered to the step below and, goodness knows how, I caught her! I didn't fall and neither of us were hurt.
The point is that time did stand still, I can't possibly have had all of those thoughts in a normal, every day, time frame. So, "What is time?"
We got to the top of the steps and looked down. My wife was shaken and in tears thinking of what might have happened and said words to the effect that our Guardian Angel must have been looking after us. I still can't explain how I caught her.
I've only experienced that sort of thing once. Oh, other than when I was riding a donkey backwards - but that's another story!
So can time stand still?
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