Sunday Morning Reflections – Time's Flying Faster

I’m up to my usual tricks this morning straying way off the topic of photography. Whatever pops into my mind on a Sunday morning is what I share. So, as usual, once the sun was up so was I and along with a stormy looking morning in South Florida came a thought about time.

As I looked in the mirror this morning, I noticed a two-inch hair growing on the side of my ear! Seriously, when did that happen and where’s it been hiding every day? It hit me this morning how fast time seems to fly by as you get older.

In fact, as I look back over the last year, except for the presidential campaign that felt like it would never end, everything in life seems to be going by faster and faster. Twice in the last couple of weeks, I missed things on my calendar, only because when I wrote them down they seemed so far away.

Time management was never my strong suit. In fact, some of my best projects and ideas have come out during a time crunch and that moment when you realize you either get it done NOW or it’s not getting done. Well, there’s no way to slow down the clock. Time never stands still, and I’m always amazed how so many of us squander it.

I grew up with the joy of having two grandmothers. As Grandma Alice would darn the holes in my socks, she’d remind me “a stitch in time saves nine,” and then point out if I’d given her the socks earlier she wouldn’t have to rebuild them! (Most of you will have to Google “darning socks” – it’s a lost craft. LOL)

Then when I was disappointed in something Grandma Sarah would give me the “don’t cry over spilled milk” lecture. Both grandmothers were experts in time management and if you analyze their points – one was about not procrastinating and just getting the job done, while the other was all about not wasting time on things you can’t change.

So based on the wisdom of my two grandmothers and few other wonderful people in my life, including my wife Sheila, see if this short list of ideas makes sense:

Stop wasting time worrying about things you have no control over.
Stop procrastinating on things you need to get done. So often the longer you take to do something the more time it’s going to take you to do it.
Stop worrying about what people will say or think regarding something your heart is telling you to do.
Let those people who are most important in your life know they’re appreciated. You don’t need to wait until their birthday, an anniversary or the December holidays!
My Grandma Sarah was all about spilled milk, but Sheila’s favorite is “Don’t should on yourself,” and I’ve shared it before. Stop looking back more often than forward – that’s why you’ve got a rear view mirror to glance at now and then.

And last, on my last – live well! By “live well” I’m talking about simply being happy. It’s ironic that relatives who don’t talk to me anymore because they disagreed with some of my life-changing decisions are also the ones who gave me the plate pictured on the right. The plate has a prominent place in our home, right near the door we go in and out of the most. I see it numerous times a day and it’s where my keys, wallet, and sunglasses can always be found.

But it’s the word “revenge” I love the most. It’s not about revenge for anything that’s been done, but for me, it’s revenge against time. It’s about not wasting a minute with anything less than a smile on my face, or more important to me is trying to always keep that smile in my heart.

I can’t stop the clock. I can’t slow down the aging process, but I sure can season my life with optimism, hope, compassion and plenty of hugs. Call it sappy, hokey even unrealistic, but it works for me.

So, I wish you a sappy, hokey Sunday, loaded with people you care about and time to enjoy them along with plenty of those therapeutic long hugs.

Happy Sunday everybody!

Note: For those of you who are critics and doubt the value of long hugs, click on the screen shot I took below and read the entire article.