It is often said that time flies when you’re having fun, but I’m finding that it flies even when I’m not having fun. Time flies when I’m happy or sad, busy or bored, burdened or carefree, having the time of my life or writing another article for ALIVE. By the time you read this article, it will be Valentine’s Day. I haven’t even taken down my Christmas tree and now it’s time for flowers, cards, chocolates, jewelry, fine wine, and fancy dinners out. Just for the record, I’m always very appreciative of any of these romantic gifts and gestures from my loyal readers. Don’t be shy.
It seems like just yesterday, we were celebrating Hanukah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. For me that’s especially true as the Chief sets my deadlines unrealistically early for the magazine so here I am on January 2nd trying to come up with a piece for the February issue. That said, time has a way of speeding up when we most need it to slow down. I only got 24 hours yesterday, how many did you get?
In the song Young Turks, Rod Stewart sang, “Because life is so brief and time is a thief when you’re undecided. And like a fistful of sand, it can slip right through your hands.” That Rod is deep.
Growing up, time moved at what seemed like a normal pace. Days were from sun up to sun down, evenings and weekends were leisurely, summer vacation from school was a legit twelve weeks, and it seemed like forever until Christmas or my next birthday rolled around. I never thought much about time as a kid and yet time is a constant topic of conversation as an adult.
In the song, Time Stands Still, by Rush, Geddy Lee sang, “Time stands still, I’m not looking back, but I want to look around me now. Time stands still, see more of the people and the places that surround me now.” Geddy could be very introspective. Probably because he’s from Canada.
Once I became an adult, time seemed to speed up. It started a little at a time, but days, weeks and months all started to go by a little quicker. A busy workweek would fly by in the blink of an eye. A weeklong vacation would feel like it was over before it even started. Every six-month dental check up and teeth cleaning seemed to arrive before I got into a regular flossing routine.
In the song Time is on My Side, by the Rolling Stones, Mick sang, “Time, time, time is on my side, yes it is, I said time, time, time is on my side, yes it is, I said time, time, time is on my side.” We get it Mick. He’s always been more than a little conceited.
When I became a young parent, when my children were newborns and then toddlers, each day seemed to last forever, but somehow we started going through calendars at a rapid pace. As someone once said about having children, “The days are long and the years fly by.” No truer words have ever been spoken. Then, the next thing I knew, my kids were teenagers and I worried about them all the time. They were also so busy I barely had enough time to get anything done outside of keeping them on schedule.
When we were attending the kids’ sporting events, a swim meet or equestrian horse competition seemed to wipe out an entire weekend. I once saw a t-shirt that read, “If I only had one day left to live, I’d want to spend it at a swim meet because that feels like the longest day on earth.” Take it from me, a horse show feels even longer.
Now my wife and I are empty nesters. Where did the time go? With our two girls away at college, time has new meaning. There’s way too much time between visits, but time goes by pretty quickly just trying to keep up with tuition and other expenses.
In the song Time in a Bottle, Jim Croce sang, “There never seems to be enough time, to do the things you want to do. I’ve looked around enough to know, that you’re the one I want to go, through time with.” Jim sure knew how to sweet-talk a lady.
In the song, (I’ve had) The Time of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes sang, “Now I’ve had the time of my life/ No, I never felt like this before/ Yes I swear it’s the truth/ And I owe it all to you. Cause I’ve had the time of my life and I owe it all to you.” I still get goose bumps picturing Baby and Johnny tearing up the Catskills banquet room with their provocative dance moves.
At work, a day can fly by or it drag out forever. When we’re busy, there’s never enough time and when it’s slow, there’s too much time. Days lead to weeks, weeks to months and then another year is gone. Because a majority of us work to live and not live to work, the workday can’t end soon enough to enjoy the quality time we all want, need and crave.
In the song, Long Time, by Boston, the band sang, “It’s been such a long time/I think I should be goin’, yeah time doesn’t wait for me, it keeps on rollin’. And then, Well, I’m takin’ my time, I’m just movin’ on, you’ll forget about me after I’ve been gone. And I take what I find, I don’t want no more; it’s just outside of our front door.“ Those 80’s bands were full of long haired guys that just lived for the moment.
The one and only exception I can come up with to time moving too rapidly is probably “doing time.” You know, jail time. Being locked-up, aka doing time in the big house, the joint, hoose-gow or the gray bar hotel. However you want to phrase it, prison time has got to be the most difficult, surreal time experience a person can face. I’ve seen The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Escape from Alcatraz and The Longest Yard so I know. Doing time seems like just that: doing it. Not spending time, not killing time, not even wasting time. Time has got to take on a completely different meaning when you’re locked in a cell.
In the song, Cats in the Cradle Harry Chapin sings the ultimate song about the passage of time as it relates to parenting. I would go on, but it chokes me up every time I hear it and a writer never cries.
In the song, Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is, by the band Chicago, the guys sang, “As I was walking down the street one day, a man came up to me and asked me what the time was that was on my watch and I said…Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? If so I can’t imagine why/we’ve all got time enough to cry.” Personally, I don’t usually cry when I look at my Timex, but the band sure sold a crap ton of records with that line.
As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, knowing that Groundhog Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Passover/Easter, National Puppy Day, the First Day of Spring, Spring Break, Daylight Savings, and Mother’s Day are right around the corner, take time to smell the roses. Slow things down enough to enjoy the moment. Stop rushing around long enough to savor the time spent with family and friends or doing something that you love. We only get so much time in our life, so don’t waste it.
In the song Time after Time, Cyndi Lauper sang, “Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after time, Time after, Time”. I don’t know about you, but I find Cyndi to be a bit repetitive.
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