Recently, I was in the hospital for severe abdominal pain. While waiting for my name to be called by the nurse, I looked around at the other patients in the room. Each person had his/her own injury or illness. As I curled up in pain, I wondered if the time was passing as slowly for the other patients as it was for me.
Then I wondered, trying to distract myself from the pain, how many times does a person say the word ‘time’ in a day? How many different ways does a person refer to time throughout the course of a day? And, what about absolute time and relative time, space-time and time dilation?
Okay, I did not really wonder about the scientific make-up of time, and I am not going to speak of time travel; however, I would not mind traveling through time with Doctor David Tennant. Doctor Who?! You ask. Exactly.
Not surprising, writing this post has taken a great deal of time. In fact, between the time I started this post and today, many different things have taken place.
For instance…
I spent time in the carpool line, waiting to collect my boys after school. I spent time with Charlie’s teachers and the parents of Charlie’s classmates during a parent night. I spent time reading, writing and thinking. I spent time in the waiting room, waiting for my turn at the sonogram and Xray machine. I spent time with Joe’s teacher, discussing a strategy for curbing his chewing obsession. I spent time at the park with the boys. I spent time at work, with my boss. I spent time making supper and cleaning up after supper. I spent time with my husband. I spent time with extended family. And, I spent time (and money) at the grocery store. (Based on the number of times I used the word ‘spent’, the following fact is clear to me: time is money.)
One thing I did not spend time doing was wishing a happy 33rd birthday to The Good Greatsby. Fortunately, he prefers his birthday wishes to be spread over – wait for it – time. According to the Good Greatsby, he enjoys belated birthday wishes, because the person extending the wish may feel guilty for missing the birthday in the first place. The Good Greatsby has a thing for guilt – the guilt of others, that is.
Anyway, as I was saying…
Time is always around us – always directing us. And yet, time is infinitely different for everyone. For my kids, 5 minutes may seem like five years. For me, 5 years may seem like 5 minutes.
I mean, didn’t I just give birth to Charlie 5 minutes ago? What do you mean he is now 5yrs old? No way. If Charlie is already 5yrs old, then please explain this post-baby bump on my belly. (Be quite Ben & Jerry!)
My friend, Judith… she lives in New Zealand. She has already completed her Tuesday, and she has moved on to her Wednesday. Is her time traveling faster than my time? No, of course not. Yet, I still find myself feeling behind and/or late, when I read her articles.
There are times when Judith updates her blog, and I read the article within 5 minutes of her publishing it. Still, because of my location in the world, I am reading her post a day later.
Yes, yes, I know. I am spending too much time over-thinking time and not enough time living in the moment of time. Though, as I sit here, tap-tap-tapping away on my laptop keyboard, I am living in the moment. The thoughts I am sharing with you right at this moment are live and uneddited unedited. Of course, by the time you read this post, my here and now will be – well – gone, and I will be busy living in another moment of time.
Then there is the whole ‘running out of time’ thing. Running out of time to prepare for a test. Running out of time to get the wash done before the clothes are needed again. Running out of time to take advantage of the ‘Buy one – get one free’ sale at the World of Ice Cream.
Will time continue for me until I’ve accomplished everything I need to accomplish? Will I eventually run out of time…period?
Yes. I mean, No. I mean… Argh. Rob hates it when I ask two questions back to back, especially when they have different answers.
Time will end for me, when the proverbial timer of my life dings. And, the timer will ding, regardless of what I have or have not accomplished. I just hope the timer does not ding before I finish my ice cream. That would be a total bummer.
In the meantime, enjoy your time today, even if your today is tomorrow for someone else. Though actually, tomorrow for you is today for someone else. So really, today for someone else is still today, even though it is your tomorrow.
Wow. I think it is time for me to stop.
Lenore's Thoughts Exactly 
Your son has a chewing problem? Most guys around here don’t start that until middle school… Great post – time is a precious thing, if only I’d stop wasting it thinking about tomorrow!
Also, I enjoy Judith’s blog, too.
Ha! Not that kind of chewing problem. Though I will admit – with my head covered – my husband used to dip. *shudder*
Joe chews anything and everything. Ugh. What a habit. He destroyed so many pencils in school, they called an exterminator, because they thought they had a mouse problem. No. I’m not kidding. *sigh*
But. Another teacher suggested gum. And happily, since Joe started chewing gum – the pencils and all other objects are safe. Woo hoo!
Thanks for visiting, Country Wife. It is very nice to see you here.
I like this post. You make me think of time as currency…. to spend. Perhaps I should take a look at where I am spending it.
Welcome Rumparoni! I am glad you liked the post, and I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I did not intend to say “I spent time … spent time… spent time …”, but that is what I did – spent time. Seems spending time is as easy as spending money. Rumpy dog is one good looking dog! Thanks for the rescue!
The Rolling Stones are playing in my head … ” Time, is on my side … yes it is.”
Thoughtful post,
MJ
Thanks, MJ. I had so many songs playing in my head whenever I sat down to write this. Jim Croce’s Time in a Bottle, Cyndi Lauper’s Time after Time, Chicago’s Saturday in the Park, etc.
Have you seen the movie Fallen? The criminals in the movie sing, “Time is on my side … yes it is.” Creepy good movie.
Thanks for visiting.
Lenore
I haven’t seen that movie…. hmm..
Did they ever figure out why you were so ill?
Can it be cured by extra ice cream? MJ
No word yet, MJ. Hope to hear today or tomorrow. (Which of course could be your tomorrow and the day after that. *sigh* Don’t get me started.)
I’m hoping my daily consumption of the frozen dairy delight is going to cure me. Maybe? 🙂
LOL! I think this post doubles the amount of time I’ve spent contemplating time in my life. I mean, I’ve thought about an individual’s end of experiencing time, but I didn’t think about it in those terms.
Fun and thoughtful. Love this, and so relate to the disbelief re: the amount of passed time since parenthood began. In less than a month now, Li’l D will be two years old. But . . . but . . . I just finally met him at 12:40 this morning, wasn’t it?!
Aw. Lil’D is turning 2 in less than a month? Wow. That’s awesome, Deb. But yes – really – amazing how you just birthed him at 12:40 this morning. It truly is that fast – though it may seem slow in parts. (smile)
Thanks for reading!! Happy I made you laugh AND think. Bonus!
How does that saying go…don’t count every hour in the day but make every hour in the day count. 🙂
I believe you got it right, Jackie. And making every hour in the day count is hard work… plus, it takes a great deal of time! 🙂
Good to see you, Jackie. Thanks for visiting!
May our tombstones not bear our name and say “She was busy.” Time can be our friend. You know the sayings “In all due time”, “Time will heal (all hurts).” I can’t wait to see my daughter and grandson again, “In all due time.” After all she is growing in her career and he does have to go to school. I can’t leap to the moment in time where I want to be disregarding what has to occur. When I sit down to write a post, I know in “all due time” it will be written.
Hope they got to the bottom of your abdominal pain…so sorry to hear it slowed you down and were uncomfortable for a time.
Unless of course, the sentiment on the tombstone includes ‘… having fun and doing what she enjoyed, while deeply loving and appreciating those around her.”
Wouldn’t that be wonderful?!
Just as It old MJ that countless songs came to mind when I wrote the post, countless sayings came to mind, too. Time is always so apparent in our lives. Sometimes it is tough to keep what is important in the forefront, when time passes on regardless. (If that makes any sense.) What’s the saying… Time waits for no one.
Ah time … such a deep topic. (smile)
Waiting to hear on the results. Perhaps a gall bladder issue. Thank you for thoughts, Georgette.
Excellent post! I have “time is on my side…yes it is…” in my head now. 🙂 Love it.
Time is an illusion. But I still fall victim to the rush rush. Gotta learn to sloooow it down a little. Savor that ice cream. Remember when we were kids, days were endless! Wish I could have that feeling back now that the days whiz by at supersonic speed. My kids are thinking about Christmas already. Didn’t we just celebrate that yesterday? And my son will be nine in a few weeks. NINE! AH! Wasn’t he my little baby boo yesterday? (okay, he’s still my baby boo now, whether he thinks so or not…)
It’s always about GG for you isn’t it?
Geez.
‘Scuse me,… Ah. Kim-the-G-is-Silent?
Yes, yes it is. And, that’s GGeez to you.
I hope you are feeling much better, Ms. D… sounds like the wrong kind of excitement!
I’m always obsessing about time. I have a clock in my head, and when I’m not accomplishing what I feel I should it definitely reminds me. *sigh* Oh well… if you’ll excuse, me I probably should be getting back into my blue phone-box now.
🙂
Oooo…. blue phone-box. Might this be a photo in the future? Sure hope you find the time to complete it. 🙂
Thanks for the kind words, SIG.
WooHoo on the Doctor Who! Missed this shout out to my very favorite of all the Doctors…Ah…that Tennant Fellow…so…verbally athletic…so Scottish…so freaking hot in his glasses.
And so getting married on New year’s Day. Ah well.
xhxhL1
I’m not big on watching repeats – but David Tennant makes repeats worth it. For certain!