Time and Time Again
Please note: What follows is not a lament on aging. Granted, it may appear so, but really, it is not. Being of a Zen nature and all, I am NOT freaked out to be in my MID-FORTIES! No, no. No. I take these things in stride, I look for the good in everything. Even though I now have to squint in order to see ANYTHING.
As the calendar pages peel away like a movie montage, I find myself pondering the concept of time more deeply and more often.
This intensifies in the melancholy month of September, as I mourn Summers hasty end and dread the greedy Winter, which is sure to stretch far beyond its allotted 3 months.
September also happens to be my birthday month. This may contribute to my bafflement with regard to time. It may also contribute to the aforementioned melancholy.
Don’t misunderstand. I am pro-aging! Maturing, enduring and gathering life experiences are privileges. I do, however, object to the fact that my High School graduation was 26 years ago. That is just wrong. Decades are not supposed to fly by so quickly.
I can feel those of you ahead of me in years saying: just wait. I hear you my sisters and brothers, I do.
I am equally fascinated by how time passes. There are moments when it races and I must scurry to catch it, and moments when the second hand slogs along interminably.
An hour spent getting a nice massage and an hour spent waiting for a car repair have very little in common, even though they both claim to be 60 minutes.
How I use and manage my time is also mysterious. Sometimes a few hours can produce two days worth of work, and other times it will take the entire day to do one small thing. Baffling.
But here is what I am 100% clear on. Time is valuable. I bow down to it. If I could find a way to earn time instead of money, I would sign-up for that.
It is also lovely that, when it comes to the march of time, we are all in this together. Time may confuse and elude us sometimes, but it absolutely connects us.
It is a collective heartbeat, a rhythm we can all tap our toes to. We may speak different languages and live in different parts of the World but we all experience the sunrise and the moonrise. We recognize the shape of a day, a week, a month.
We’ve all been acutely aware of time and we’ve all lost track of it. And every one of us knows how it feels to wish for some control over it that we can never attain.
So this is just a reminder to you (and to me!) to go with the flow of time. Appreciate its wackiness and its wonder.
Spend it well, take it often.
10 Responses to “Time and Time Again”
What an excellent post. And, just in time.
So glad you connected with it my love!
It’s not really time and its passage that is the problem-it’s memory. If we didn’t remember our high school graduation so vividly, then when we realize it was 30 plus years ago, we wouldn’t even bat an eye. If we didn’t remember the 1980 Miracle on Ice and where we were at the time, how we felt, we wouldn’t then say “OMG, that was 34 years ago! I must be old.” But memories are so sweet and we hold them dear. We can, and should, live in the moment, make the best of each moment, but we should also welcome time’s passage and the memories we have.
Beautifully stated Susannah, and absolutely true! Memories are indeed so sweet and dear!
Ahhh, the mysteries of aging and our relationship to it. When we are young we want to hurry to grow older. When we are older we want aging to slow down. Your post is a gentle reminder to appreciate every moment, every day….even when many of those moments are spent looking for things…..glasses, keys, the book you were reading. Lovely post!
Thank you Madre. You are right, our relationship with time is ever evolving!
My friend, you’ve captured the mystery of time beautifully! As time continues to march forward at the speed it so chooses, I am learning more and more the importance of it. That being said, I’m going to get up off of this sofa and make the most of what remains of this day. Fantastic inspiration! xo
I love it Lori!! Making the most of those moments. XO
I just discovered you today through the JournalTalk podcast (about to listen now) and this post really grabbed my attention. I wrote a similar post about a year ago on the passage of time and our perception of it. In short, the idea is that time seems to pass more slowly when we’re creating more memories of new experiences. In contrast, when we’re in “auto pilot” mode (where most of us live), time seems to fly by. If nothing else, it’s another encouragement to always live in the moment and to try new experiences.
I believe we’re within a month or so in age, based on our number of high school reunions, so…here’s to 40-somethings aging gracefully! 🙂
Hi Jeff! Thank you so much for stopping by. So true, time will slow for us if we use it joyfully and wisely. Great reminder. And cheers to that aging gracefully idea 🙂
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