Do you remember when…….

 

   As the holidays rapidly approach for another year, this being the 75^th for me, my mind races back to events, holidays and many activities that took place in my life as I was growing up. Even as we grow older, we are constantly learning new and often exciting things that help us navigate the ‘older’ adult life.

  When I think about some of the things I learned as a child, one of the early ‘adventures’ was learning to tie my shoes and after a great deal of practice, I finally “got it”. That was one of those early skills that still comes in handy to this day, although most of the shoes in my closet are slip-ons. Today’s challenge is not that I remember how to tie the shoelaces but about bending over to reach them in order to tie them.

   Although I don’t remember the exact day, I can remember, to some degree, the time my parents set up the greatest invention ever created. The radio was put on the shelf and replaced by the television. Ok. Back then the screen was small, the picture was black and white with shades of gray. But to be able to see a picture that moved and not just hear a voice, and sometimes even watch something that made me laugh was great. Those early cartoon shows were really funny.

   I quickly learned how to turn the television on and off, all by myself. I think there was a small knob or button that needed to be pushed or turned. That training, although useful at the time, did not really prepare me for the world of 2021 and the challenges I sometime face when I cannot find the remote these days. But finding the remote is not only about changing the channel but shutting the television off completely. Enough is enough.

   And speaking of channels, I think there were only three channels back then. The shows would begin at 7 AM and go off the air at 10PM, after the playing of the National Anthem. That might not be a bad schedule to put into practice today.

   After a few years, my little red wagon was replaced with a three-wheeler, commonly called a tricycle. It was great for racing back and forth in the driveway. But those bigger kids, what were they riding out in the road. They were riding something that had only two wheels. Wow!

   My first bicycle was blue in color, and I will admit it took me a bit longer to learn how to ride it than it took me to learn with the three-wheeler. Thank goodness for the training wheels. And after a few days and a couple of stitches in my right knee, I was able to master the ’ride’ and keep a good sense of balance. It was also quick for me to learn that ‘balance’ in life, in all aspects of life, is important to have and support. And yes, I can still ride a two-wheeler, without the training wheels.

   And we all know what eventually would follow the bike. Of course. It was learning to drive a car. But that’s a story for another day.

   Another challenge I faced, as well as did many of my friends, was learning how to tell time. In the early years, my parents were the ones responsible for making sure that I knew what time it was. Back then, it was easy to know when it was supper time or time for bed. No clock or watch needed for that. Food on the table or the pajamas on the bed were the give-a-way. But it took a while to learn how to use a clock or wristwatch.

   One of my early gifts from my grandfather was a Mickey Mouse watch. There was Mickey, arms stretched out pointing to the ten and the 4. Now you are probably thinking to yourself…what is wrong with this guy? He should have known what that meant. But the real issue is not where the arms were pointing, but what I was supposed to do at ten minutes to four on any day. Thank goodness someone finally invented this thing called a computer that tells me the time of day or night, my schedule and what I should be doing at that time.

   Learning to count by two’s was a challenge until going to school. Skipping became a substitute for walking for a couple of months along with learning to jump rope. By the way, the quickest way to learn to jump rope? Just stretch the rope out on the ground and hop from one side to the other. Simple enough.

   And let’s not forget about pets, the dogs, cats and even a canary or two. I can still remember our first dog. I was about 6 years old. His name was Patches, a toy fox terrier. And what did I learn? Respect for animals and the responsibilities that go along with owning a pet or owning anything for that matter.

   I think with few exceptions throughout my lifetime, even to this day, there have been very few times when a cat or dog, a kitten or puppy, has not been a part in my life. (We miss you so much Lucky.)

   The things we learned in the past played a significant role in who we were as a child. More important though is the influence they had as we grew into being an adult. It’s more than learning to ride a bike or tying your shoes. It can be as simple or as challenging as learning the meaning of the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’, and I admit I heard them often. What we did or how we responded when we heard these simple words influenced our character and who we are today.

   What kind of adult have I become? All this learning begins at an early age and yes, tying your shoes or figuring out how to turn on or off the television, are important. But let us not forget the many other things we learn also.

It’s About Time

 

   With the exception of maybe two or three humans who live on planet Earth, there is one thing that every person around the world has in common. What we all have in common is ‘time’. It is 60 seconds in each minute. 60 minutes in each hour. 24 hours in each and every day and 365 days in each year, except if it happens to be a leap year, then its 366 days.

   Now, there will be a few who claim that they are ‘special’ and have ‘more time’ than others, but, regardless of their claims, it’s not true. What is true is that each person spends their seconds, minutes, hours and days in different ways, and it is the way a person lives each segment of time that makes them who they are and what makes them special and the type of person they are.

   A peek down the aisle of your grocery story or a walk through the local shopping mall will reveal quickly how each individual spends those precious seconds, minutes and hours each day and it is not the same for each person. (By the way…are there any “shopping malls left?)

   The day I retired I put my briefcase in the closet and took off my wristwatch and have not worn the watch since, even despite the fact that it was a retirement gift.

   As each day passed, I realized how time had controlled my life. The constant schedules of meetings, phone calls and appointments had consumed a great portion of my life, taking away from family time, vacation trips and time needed to just relax, or maybe even to mow the lawn.

   I have come to understand more clearly, at this ripe older age, that how a person spends their time often determines the type of person they become. And I believe that applies to everyone, everyone living on this planet in any country around the world. No one has more time than anyone else although some would like you to believe they do.

   But the downside is our lack of understanding of the importance of time and what we do with the time we have. Yes…. I have made a lot of mistakes throughout my lifetime and now wish that I had taken an extra minute or two to think about what I was doing at that moment, consider the possible consequences of what I was doing and maybe change that behavior in order to become a better person

   Unfortunately, it has taken me some time to fully understand that while each of us has the same number of minutes per day, days per week and weeks per year and so on, it is what we do with those minutes every day that make us who we are.

  On a more serious note about time, even without wearing a watch, I have a pretty good idea what time it usually is. My stomach tells me when its mealtime. The shows on television tell me when it’s time to go to bed, and the sun shining brightly through the curtains in the bedroom tell me it’s time to get up. And the moon perched high in the sky tells me to go back to sleep for a few more minutes.

   But given the current trends in electronics and of course with my cell phone close by or in my pocket, I probably know what time it is today better than in the past.

   It would be foolish of me to say that it is not important to know what time it is, with doctor and dental appointments and alike. But what I have discovered today is what do I do with my free time, the time I don’t work or have appointments or have something else planned. Had I prepared myself for the future and a time when life would be very different, the place I am right now?

   I need to add something seeming unrelated here, but I feel important to include. We are currently in a time when living in a world we once thought we knew has changed. Whether it be the politics of the time or the pandemic or a crisis of potential environmental changes, it is a different world and will continue to change. Those who came before us faced many unsettling situations throughout their history too. But what remains constant are the 60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours each day and knowing that time is on our side and will help get through these difficult situations too.

  So here is the lesson. I am who I am because of how I have lived my time in the past. Are there some things I would like to change? You bet there are and there is nothing stopping me, even today, in making some changes because I still have 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in and hour, 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week and 52 weeks in a year.

   It’s all about time.