Time, and Time Again

By G. E. Shuman


I opened my eyes this morning and stared at the irritating red numerals glaring out from the alarm clock on my night stand. (I hate that thing.) The room was dark, as usual, and the time read 5:15; a very familiar, and very disliked time, to me. I closed my eyes, as on most other early mornings, and opened them again, in what felt like only seconds since the first time. The irritating numbers read 5:25. I closed my eyes again, as on most early mornings, and opened them in what felt like only seconds more. That thing that I hate now read 5:40. I stretched an uncoordinated hand from under the covers, and snapped the all-to-familiar switch on the clock to the ‘off’ position, without even thinking about it, as I had done hundreds of times before, on hundreds of other days, just like this one. Once again, setting the alarm last night had only been a paranoid precaution against the slight chance I would not beat it to the punch, and would be late for work.
Where had the night gone? I thought, as I began my usual routine of shower, shave, dress and depart our home’s upstairs level, to let the dog out, make coffee and school lunches, and generally prepare for this new day, just as I had done yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. (Can anyone say: “George, old man, your routine is too routine?”)
As is also my habit, as much as any of these aforementioned things, I checked my email, blog sites, and news items on the net, while sipping the first of today’s several mugs of coffee. As I did, I went to one of my favorite sites. It is one belonging to a good friend, who happens to also be a beautiful photographer. (Her pictures are beautiful too, not to mention her thoughtful personal insights. Ha.) So, I now quote my friend Rene, who’s stage and screen name is Sweets, at: sweetcapture.blogspot.com, as she mentions one of her photographs, and relates another view of passing time. (Check it out.) :
“Time passes by so quickly, doesn't it? I captured this image over a month ago while taking a walk up the street with my daughter and her puppy. Has it really been over a month? There was another flower I had wanted to capture because of it's unique design and beauty, but alas, when I searched for it this morning, I was surprised to find it had already faded away. Summer is fading fast, too. Have you found that when you reach a point in life, you begin to appreciate the many ‘little things’ about it, that time seems to go into ‘hyperdrive’ and events pass us by in a blur. But... there are still 24 hours in a day... there are still 365 days in a year. How does it seem to pass by so quickly and, if it does, where does it go?”
Just this afternoon my dear wife and I were discussing the cooling nights, the seasons, and other signs of this quickly-aging year. I was talking of those things, but thinking some of my quickly aging mind and body. Haven’t we had that conversation on other afternoons, in other early falls? Perhaps we’ve had it more times than we even remember. (Or, at least, than I even remember.) I know Lorna has a better attitude than I, about time flying by, because of her unfair eternal youthfulness. (I hope flattery gets me somewhere.) In fact, at work, on the 25th of every month, she mentions the number of months until Christmas, to all who will listen. (Don’t tell her, but that would irritate me more than those red numbers on my clock.) You know, as I write this, that great holiday is actually only three months away, again, already. While Lorna and I spoke this afternoon, I was also reminded and mentioned to her how that, each December, as we unpack those timeless Christmas decorations, I feel like we had just barely packed them up and carried them back to the attic.
“Life is like a roll of toilet paper.“ someone once said. “The nearer you get to the end, the faster it goes.” What a sweet thought. I’m not sure why I remembered that one just now. I guess I’ve got it on the mind lately. (Life, not toilet paper.)
I don’t know about the toilet paper thing, but I do know this. Birthday cakes and cardiologists, red alarm clock numerals and red leaves, all have ways of reminding a person of just how fleeting every day is, and how precious that day is, also. “This is the day which the Lord hath made;” The Bible says. “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” I think I had better start rejoicing, while this is still the day, and before I open my eyes to see those irritating red numerals again.