I’ve been thinking a lot about “time” lately. I guess that comes with the territory, just turning 60 and still feeling like I’m 6. Oh well, could be worse, I might be thinking of more serious matters.
Time is a trickster. Quite the bendable thing. I’ve written about her before. But lately, I haven’t been thinking of time as a thing of physics or even a mental acrobatic feat. No. I’ve been thinking about how time is really just an opportunity to be here. To BE. Simple as that. We need to stop counting. Just sit in time’s lap and lap it up.
So, it is back to thinking about time, our taskmasters, and scribbling in my notebooks. I will go on and write more on this subject at a later date. Head isn’t there. So, I’ll leave you with a semi-poem. Raw, I’ll just tap it out. Hopefully, my 24 hours won’t run out while doing so … If anyone knows 24 hours - it’s me. I’ve run a good number of 24 hour races and even enjoyed a few of them! Loved them, we all finished with the same time - how’s that for fairness?
Enjoy the 24 your get today. We’re equal in that way.
Everyone Gets The Same 24 Hours
“Squander Your Life For A Purpose.” Anonymous Epitaph
Brush your teeth.
Walk the dog.
12:15 into town.
Pay some bills.
2 hot dogs,
A beer to wash them down.
Home. Game on.
Feet up.
A few more beers.
Sleep on the couch.
The day’s done.
Everyone gets the same 24 hours
and that’s about all that’s fair
in love and life
here or out there, anywhere.
We all get the same 24.
Pauper, Pope or President
sober, drunk or stupid
tall, young, old or institutionalized
you’ll get your 24
free
to do with as you please
spend where you may.
We’re all millionaires
in that simple, countable way.
But use them hours well.
Soon this gravy train
will be over and
the 24 won’t come anymore
and most like you’ll even
get cheated by
the landlord
out of a few hours
your last day.
It doesn’t matter how
you spend these 24 hours.
I’m dead certain of this.
Life is no lottery with a
guaranteed payout at the end.
No siree.
What’s important I’ve figured out
is to burn your candle well.
Take those 24 and use them
for something you think is
noble and worthy or just plain fun.
Not because that in itself is important.
Not because it makes the world better
or is righteous or good. No.
Do it that way because you’ll be
part of the real world and you’ll
have cheated the guy that gives out
those free 24-hour tickets,
cheated him out of pulling your strings
like a puppet as you chased the
pennies he threw down for you
so you’ll run after his (or her)
tangerine dreams.
It’s not what you do with them 24
that matters.
It’s that you use them well,
as well as you’ve defined it,
not as goddamn
anyone else did.
Everyone Gets The Same 24 Hours