“Time is on my side, yes it is.” I would interpret this to mean that patience is the key to getting what you want. If you wait long enough, then maybe your dreams will come true. Well, I’ve never been patient. I don’t like to wait and I certainly want to know, right now, what happens next? Will life have a happy ending? Will there even be a tomorrow? These are questions that no one knows the answer, and what makes life so mysterious.
It’s scary when you think about how much life can change in a split-second of time. There’s no going back, only a path forward. I could almost see myself a few steps ahead as I ran this morning, wondering how life would be different when I finally caught up? It’s not something I often think about, or is comforting to me in any manner. Is time really on my side? I suppose time can make things better or worse, depending on your mind-set. I would like to see it frozen.
I’m as happy as I’ve ever been in life. I’ve got everything I want and time to enjoy it. At this point, I don’t want my life to change, knowing that there could be a rough road ahead. Time is not always kind to the body and mind. I feel the aches and pains of age, have lost some of my ability to hear, and am concerned that my hands are a bit shaky. I’m prepared for what comes next, but would prefer to never see it come.
I don’t look at my watch as much as I used to, nor do I count the days of the week anymore. I try to live in the moment now, rather than planning for the future, like I have for most of my life. I spend rather than save now, and I’m more selfish about my time, as it passes quickly. I also no longer feel the stress of career advancement, or of raising a family. I’ve been there and done that, so now, in a moment of complete satisfaction, I simply seek a means to harness time.
As I sit here in my office, time gone by surrounds me. Momentos of my life are on the walls, on the shelves, and organized in notebooks. I don’t know what other items will eventually join this collection, but these are all memories that I can share with others. I feel like I’ve accomplished something when I sit in this room. There are books that I’ve read, souvenirs from world travel, tickets from events, artwork, awards that I’ve earned, and pictures of my sport heroes. A globe sits in the corner to remind me of where I’m going next, if I don’t run out of time.
I remember the days when I had limited time to travel. Now, it’s simply a matter of money. I can go anywhere, as long as care arrangements are made for the dogs, or if we take them with us. I’ve shared my bucket list (post #95: Buckets and Goals). Retirement travel is the final frontier, a celebration of life as you parade around the world. It also reminds you that there are schedules to keep, alarm clocks to set, and plans to make. After all, you only have so much time to spend in each of these destination cities.
Sixty-five years have passed in a blink of an old wrinkled eye. Two-thirds of my life is behind me, but potentially another third lies ahead. There is often a fine line between being alive and living. Right now, I have both of these going for me. I’m living the retirement dream, and feel very much alive. However, I’ve also seen what time can do to separate being alive and the joy of living. I’ve lived a privileged life, and I can only hope that my good fortune will continue with exceptional health. I also feel great empathy for those that are alive but have lost some or all of their memories and mobility. I’d like to think that time will continue to be good to me, but “you can’t always get what you want.”
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