“The trouble is you think you have time”- Buddha

Many times I sit down to write; however, I find a topic isn’t necessarily coming to mind. The words aren’t jumping onto the screen and I need to dig a bit deeper to produce content that will benefit my readers. Tonight is no different. Ive poured an ale and have sat down in this semi-dark room to ramble a bit about what, I don’t know. But, at this moment I begin to think of something that is often on my mind, time.

The time perception shift

Time has proven to be quite elusive, its always running out or moving to quickly. This, of course, was not always the case. At one point in my life, time moved slow. Childhood summers spanned an enternity and the school year felt even longer. A year felt more like a decade. But, as I charge full tilt into adulthood, time moves fast. “It seems like just yesterday” was once a term I felt only applied to the whistful old man feeding pigeons by the park, now this saying leaves my lips often. It did just feel like yesterday. It felt like just yesterday I held my firstborn in my arms, now I see a 6 year old kid before me.

Time is our ultimate commodity. There is nothing else like it and we don’t have a clue how much of it we truly have until it has passed. We rush and move, chasing the day, only to look back, hoping we’d just enjoyed the moment for, well, a moment.

Live in the moment

Many a motivational post has emerged on various social media accounts giving the same advice “live in the moment” and that’s great. That saying makes me feel good, warm and happy. But, the moment passes quickly, regardless of my acknowledgement of said moment. Not to mention, I really need to think ahead to the future, since that son of a bitch is right around the corner. The past can not be forgotten, because that time period held vital lessons that have built my life and who I am. So, living in the moment is great, but you cant forget where you came from and where it is you are going. And, as a parent you are always going.

Time passes

Time passes, that’s a given. That wont change, that is guaranteed. You cant change that, no matter how hard you try. But, you can acknowledge it and accept it. You can realize time is only valuable because we have a finite amount of it. We need to make the best of that most valuable commodity.

In navigation it’s important to know where you’ve been, where you are and where you are going. Time is no different. Acknowledge the past, live in the present and plan for the future. Okay, my ale is done and my words have dried out, Time to hit the rack.