Tommy Wilson: Being in the right place at the right time is when the magic happens

Bill English has called it the right time to step aside and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges is among those to put their hand up for the top job. Photo / File

The right place at the right time is when the magic moments in life happen - and for Mitchell Grimstone, a 20-year-old student hanging out with his mates at Eden Park last Friday night for the 20-20 test, his right place to win $50,000 was right in front of Ross Taylor, who smashed the ball over the leg side boundary at the very right time for six.

Young Mitchell dropped his left hand down like an elephant would when taking an apple from his ringmaster and how's that, quicker than you can say show me the money, he had 50 fat ones in the back pocket.

Bill English has called it the right time to step aside and now we have a trifecta of takeovers, all hoping it is the right time for them to stand up and stand in as the new leader in opposition to labour.

Some say it is the right time for the Nats to send in the crusher to gatecrash the "maternity honeymoon" that Labour is marinating in, and this could have an ounce of sense to it if it has a Vogue cover equal to replace her with closer to 2020.

If there was an equal to Jacinderella and Prince Charming, perhaps the Simon and Amy quinella is registering on the National Party radar. And, if you really want to throw the combo a star-studded couple, then putting Simon and New Zealander of the year Dr Lance O'Sullivan side by side would make it almost catwalk material.

The Maori Party held its strategy hui at the weekend and to write it off as a future coalition partner - no matter what political potae you may wear, may be akin to catching a Ross Taylor 6 without the right coloured T-shirt on.

Our kids being in the right place at the wrong time at school doesn't register on our radar as it does in the gun-crazy States. When will the parents of these schoolyard massacres wake up and hit back at the powerful gun lobby, which believes the solution to self-protection is to be found in the solace of a semi-automatic weapon?

Cyclone Gita is sending out an SOS that we could be in the wrong place in two days' time when she summons up Tangaroa and Tawhirimatea - the gods of the sea and wind - to huff and puff and blow any unsecured piece of property down. When I awoke early this morning to the cry of seagulls, which only head inland when tough times are on the way, I had to start asking myself what were my survival plans if things got a little weatherly over the next few days.

Cyril Ramaphosa is hopefully the right man at the right time to show up as the new South Africa President. Madiba Mandela must be turning in his grave to see what his trusted lieutenant Jacob Zumba has done to his Rainbow Nation. Ramaphosa, who was a trusted confidante of Mandela's and a wealthy businessman from the right side of the train tracks, will hopefully give his people back the sense of purpose and hope their beloved leader Madiba gave to them as a post-apartheid legacy.

So what have we learned from this last week of being at the right place at the right time, or even the wrong one when it matters most?

I guess the key takeaway is most of the time you just have to show up first for the magic moments to happen.

Nothing changes when nothing changes according to the tamoko (traditional tattoo) on our daughter's waewae and, for me, we can stand still and do nothing when trouble comes knocking at our door, our playground or in the hands of the weather gods, or we show up.

Just showing up can count for a lot as it did for the young buck who reached out his hand and had a go, and in doing so brought a lot of joy to himself his mates and the 40,000 fans at Eden Park, not to mention the millions watching at home here in Aotearoa and over in Ngati Skippyland.

Tomorrow, 160 community-minded king pins will show up and reach out for the homeless and daring at a seminar being held at the Happy Puku down in the Tauranga Domain.

The time is right to face this challenging kaupapa with a united understanding of just what is emergency housing, homelessness, rough sleeping and streeties.

Sure we can send all of our best intentions and prayers to those who need them most, but sometimes we just have to show up to the right place at the right time and give a little of our time just like the Bro Jesus did back in the day.

Or, as the poster says on our wall: "Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray."

broblack@xtra.co.nz