It’s About Time
After all the effort of getting ready for Christmas—an effort that we are encouraged by the shops to commence earlier each year—it’s sobering to think how quickly the holiday passed us by. I know time is supposed to speed up as one gets older, but I suspect for most people of any age, 25th December seems an age ago.
The lights have come down, the trees are packed away or piled up at the allotments awaiting shredding. We’re half-way through January already! And, if the commentators are to be believed, 90{ca225c2aedd0a3230fdf18169b52e0cd27b098bc7f89404059909f89450e2217} of us will already have broken—or will be on the way to breaking—our New Year’s resolutions.
We seem to have had such a sad start to 2016, both nationally and locally. For anyone who was a teenager in the 1960s when Space Oddity first came out, David Bowie has been a permanent fixture on the music scene ever since. And for anyone who loves Harry Potter or thinks Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves has the best Sheriff of Nottingham ever, it’s hard to think that will be no more films from Alan Rickman. In our own town, we lost an active and popular member of the community on 3rd January and the size of
the crowd at his memorial service, believers and non-believers alike, was testament to how much his loss will be felt.
the crowd at his memorial service, believers and non-believers alike, was testament to how much his loss will be felt.It’s unoriginal – but nevertheless true – to say that time is short and we should make the most of it while we can, as we never know what’s around the corner.
After more than thirty years of business travel, when work always seemed more important than anything else, I am finally taking time to do more things just for fun; including starting to knit again. On Saturday I popped into a nearby town to buy some more wool. I had the pattern already, I knew exactly what I wanted – and I didn’t think I would take very long. So I only put an hour’s money in the parking meter. And sure enough, I picked my wool within the first five minutes. But I then waited for more than forty minutes while the two assistants, who obviously knew their stuff, dealt with other customers who were lovingly – and agonisingly slowly – assembling their purchases. And while I did, I gazed around at the abundance of colour and texture to be explored. I reminded myself that this was a hobby, a pastime, something to be enjoyed. So making the most of one’s time is not necessarily about getting through as much as possible, as quickly as possible, but more about giving everything the length of time it deserves.
And next time, I’m going to put more money in the parking meter!
What about you, gentle reader? How do you make the most of your time? And what would you give more time to, next time around?
Comments (0)