Ken Grimwood – Thoughts From The Passenger Seat

Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live?

I happened upon a book in the late 1980s named, Replay, by Ken Grimwood. It starts out with a middle age may having a heart attack at his desk. When he comes to, he’s 18 years old and in his college dorm room.

Think about that – being able to replay your life. What kind of changes would you make? Would you be kinder? Study harder? Take more changes? Or be less reckless?

As much as I would like to do all of the above, anything I did would change the trajectory of my life. If I don’t date that dolt again, it wouldn’t lead me to the love of my life because how would I know what I shouldn’t put up with? Or would I seek out the love of my life sooner, because I know where he is? But doesn’t he have to go through his own situations to work his way to me?

So I guess if I could replay my 20s with the knowledge of where I need to be at a particular date and time, I’d live them smarter both in brain power and common sense.

It was late 1987 and I had recently moved to California to live with my soon to be husband. I moved my belongings by UPS so there wasn’t a lot of extra stuff (books!) that came with me.

Always looking for something to read I surprisingly found a book on a shelf. It was “Replay” by Ken Grimwood published in 1986.

It was about an overweight, unhappy in his marriage 40-something man who has a heart attack at his desk. But…..he wakes up, in his dorm room at 19 years old.

It takes him a little while to realize where he is but then he does what would be expected – he DOESN’T get involved with the woman in his unhappy marriage, and he starts betting on all the major sports events!

It goes on from there and everything is great – until he “dies” again but comes back a little older, and a little older….. He realizes, he can live his life as crazy as he wants to because he’s “replaying” his life.

After a few times, he discovers that there are others who are doing the same.

I’ve read this book 3 or 4 times and It is a fascinating premise. Die and end up back in your early adulthood with the knowledge you left your existing life with. As they say “hindsight is 20/20”! What would you do? Would you want the ability to come back and right wrongs? Change behaviors? Go to the love of your life faster without dealing with all the dopes first?

I’ve contemplated it. I think about what I would do and how I would make sure I found my husband – just sooner!

Tag: Ken Grimwood

Replay by Ken Grimwood

To Replay Your Life