Standing out on yard duty in the middle of the winter, braving sub-Arctic temperatures with the wind blowing is not what I call fun. I'm chilled to the bone. Insanity dashes in front of me in the form of a bunch of boys running around the playground in their t-shirts. On those days, I stand and wonder as my teeth chatter how fifteen minutes can possibly be such a long time. Why is it that sometimes time passes so slowly, and other times it flashes in the blink of an eye?
My grandmother used to say that the older you get, the faster time passes. She was right, unless of course we're talking about waiting in supermarket line-ups, traffic jams, or waiting for water to boil, to name just a few.
I used to play a game with my Grade 3 class, to demonstrate how long one minute is. I'd have the class stand and turn with their backs facing the classroom wall clock. I would be the timekeeper while the children's task was to sit down when they thought a minute had passed. The child who came closest to sitting down at 60 seconds was the 'winner'. Each time I played this, I was fascinated to see how quickly the children sat down, thinking that time was up. The children, too, couldn't believe how long one minute truly is.
Yet, time passes so swiftly. I remember the first time the passage of time kicked me in the face. Sure, everyone knows that we're constantly aging, so that's no surprise, but we don't really notice it because generally, the people we associate with are doing the same things at more or less the same time as we are. Life milestones such as getting married, having the first baby, sending your first off to school are done with others who are doing the same. We coast along together, sharing these events, but not really realizing the ticking of the clock.
It happened when my oldest was in her first year of high school. A bunch of her friends were coming over to the house for a barbeque. Since these were new friends from a new school, I told her that I didn't need names, only an idea of how many friends were coming. The day arrived and there was a knock at the door. I opened the door and couldn't believe what I was seeing. This was no ordinary duo. The dad was an old friend of mine from my teenage years who I hadn't seen in a very long time, standing with his teenaged son. At that moment, time stood still. I looked at the four of us and wondered what had happened to the time. Wasn't I just a teenager myself? Wasn't that father not the father but in fact the boy he was standing with? I was baffled. Where did the time go?
I often chuckle to myself in the morning as I'm putting up the coffee. I'll stop and wonder, didn't I just do this? Yesterday went by so quickly. It seems like mere minutes since I padded into the kitchen to make my morning java. How did that happen?
And now it's 2011. It will take me 3 months before I write the year correctly on cheques and on the chalkboard. Sometimes time will still seem to pass slowly. Yard duty in the winter will still seem longer than yard duty in the spring. And water will still take a long time to boil. But before I know it, I'll be writing final report cards. June will be here in a blink of an eye. Another school year will be over and there will only be 6 months left of the year.
Time marches on. This year, I hope to make the best of my time, use it wisely, even waste it wisely. And to all of you who take the time to read my musings, I thank you so much, and wish you a year filled with wonderful times.
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