Tick-Tock

Time has been on my mind lately. The passing of it, the way it stops for no one, for nothing. The way it can drag when you want it to fly, the way it flies when you wish it would stand still. How bizarre it can seem when you sit back and reflect on it. What can happen in such a short amount of it and how nothing can happen when extended periods stretch before you, seeming endless in one moment, fleeting in another. Patience, that virtue few posses, often helps with time, yet I am not one of those few. I hate to admit, but I may be one of those people who are very cognizant of the time, aware of how little there seems to be of it, how it’s literally disappearing as I sit and write this. That scares and exhilarates me equally, especially since as of late, time has been both a gift and a curse…

Just two short months ago, my life seemed superficially wrapped up. Not so much tied with a hand-crafted, Nordstrom bow, but tied up, figured out on the surface (although I’m not sure anyone ever figures everything out; how boring when that happens!). Even typing that, in those words, puts any doubt I had (none) about how things have come untied, to rest. That has been how I've felt. Untied. Released. From the time restraints that went along with what had been proposed to me (literally) as well as from what I had settled into. Time had lent complacency to me and when the events of March 12th unfolded, I returned it. The ride in the stolen car had started and when it ended, I had escaped.



Time was now mine.




Broad Street, a race that time seemed to fly for, took much of my time post March 12th. Training for that, the hours and distance runs I set aside for, propelled me forward both literally and figuratively. Having a goal after that which you thought would, no longer will, may be the best piece of advice I can give someone. When something doesn't work, take time to rearview mirror it, but don't stop and put the brakes on. Time marches on with or without you.


So with the race here, then gone, I not only exceeded a personal expectation by running it, I finished in 1:33:54. There's nothing like awakening from a deep sleep and hitting the ground running.


And the time kept filling up.



The act of reclaiming myself took no time at all. Suddenly, I had things to look forward to that I had orchestrated for myself and could take the minutes and hours of days not planned to do with what I wanted. There in lies the quandary I often find myself in. With time rushing by, having no pause or hesitation, shouldn't you use every single second, filling it with, well, everything? For that rare breed of high-energy folk, myself included, this can present a challenge for the NBC's (non-energizer bunny on crack) of the world. Keeping up may not even be the issue. The sheer act of listening to the projected plans of someone like me, just being the recipient of an email that spouts off upcoming events or dates to be filled, these things can overwhelm. Time flies when you're having fun and the post March 12th dates have done just that, leaving me thinking about how I doubt I'll take the time to slow down now.


Looking back on time, seeing what has happened since, puts a very wide smile on my face and leaves me to think of that which stretches ahead:

Time...Oh the things I will do with it.