It used to be when I was so much younger that the passage of time mattered not because I had the feeling that I would live forever and time for me on this level would never end.
I understand now why the sun shined brighter to me when I was a child as I didn’t have the responsibilities that I have now. Not that I am not a cheerful individual behind the facade of a mean mugged face that I sometimes wear when deep in thought or on my job dealing with the disgruntled public.
No, I am quite content and in tune with my life, as a matter of fact, I would say that these days of my life are the best that I ever had because I truly appreciate every precious moment that I am blessed with by my Creator.
It’s almost like when you are a kid and you are eating your favorite candy bar, you revel in the flavor of each passing bite until you get down to that last scrumptious piece only to have your heart broken when it hits the dirty floor after carelessly slipping out of your hand. Talk about disappointment? WOW!
Well remember how when you would eat that next candy bar how you made sure that the last piece never experienced the fate of that one that hit the dirty floor?
This is the way life is and this is the way I view my attitude on the passage of time, as each year goes by in my life and gets down to that last piece, I am making sure that I am enjoying it as it comes to an end.
I refuse to “drop” or waste my final “pieces” of life merely because of a careless decision that could have been avoided if I had put a little more thought into what I was doing at the time. I also know that my sunny days may not come like they did when I was a child meaning that I would most likely never have those summer vacations that seemed to go on forever into infinity like they used to.
No, they probably won’t manifest even if I come into a ton of money or retire myself away from the daily rigors of life merely because I am aware of too much in the world and how things operate. One of the joys that children have if they are having a proper childhood is that they do not have to concern themselves with the corny things that grown folks must be on top of because of their responsibilities.
When you are a kid and you come in from the yard after an afternoon of playtime of COURSE the lights are going to come on when you flicked the switch! They are supposed to right? Well sure if you keep up with your bills but what child has the capacity to think like an adult when the biggest thing on their mind is grabbing something cool to drink when the open up the refrigerator? The drinks are always there every time you open that door right? Well yes if you go food shopping with a bunch of money that you had to go out and work for on a job.
But what do kids know about that? All they know is that the cold stuff to drink will always be there because that’s the way it is!
So the knowledge that accompanies adulthood seems to kill off that little bit of fun that we had when we were children. Some of us took that awareness that life is not one big playground harder than others and some took it easily and literally still possess that carefree demeanor that they had when they were preteens. Me I’m one of the latter.
While I have endured and even still to this day endured more than my share I would say of personal emotional pains through circumstances and even my own self admitted bad choices, I would say that I have learned to adapt and treat every part of my life perfect and imperfect just like that last sweet little piece of the candy bar to enjoy the heavenly mouthful of an experience as it happens!
This outlook I feel would benefit so many people out here who are looking for that big blast of a good time that never ever seems to happen. We let ourselves down every time when we don’t notice the little things that God grants us in our life because we are looking for a big lump sum of emotional bliss comparable to overdosing on a bottle of Prozac!
What I’ve learned to do and I suggest you adopt a similar outlook also, is to take your pleasures and joyous moments incrementally. A little bit at a time. Savor the little moments and they will give you the overall sensation and sensory overload as if you were living back in and experiencing in the most happy time of your life.
Perception is everything so while you are going about your day no matter where you find yourself, you should cultivate the ability to “see” the beauty in everything around you to the point where the external environment no matter how negative just won’t affect you. It’s that’s simple.
Stuck in a traffic jam and have no clue when you are going to reach your destination? Then start a conversation with the person in the vehicle next to you or simply call someone on the phone to whom you haven’t spoken to in months!
Have no excess money to do anything with because the cash is tight? Then go to the shopping mall and go through the motions of trying on the most expensive outfits and actually collecting up the various pieces of garb in your hand and head over to the long line by the cash register only to receive a “faux” emergency phone call that forces you to dump the merchandise and leave the store. See? You had the experience of shopping for some costly goods without having to put yourself in debt or spend cash that you didn’t ever have at the moment.
Get creative people!
Life is an adventure and the more you utilize your mind and the options that are there for you then every sweet morsel of this thing called life will taste like that last piece of candy bar to the inner recesses of your soul time and time again!
…….just don’t make any foolish life decisions and drop it!
Hold on tight to every moment and live it to its fullest! When you do that in the present time then you have absolutely no time to worry about what bad might happen in the future or linger on unhealthily in the mistakes or bad choices of the past! Dedicate a balanced concern for the present and future after you have learned from the mishaps of the past and do enjoy your present. I’ve found that when you do you best in the present after formulating a non rigid plan and guideline for your future that everything will always fall into place quite well.
Just make sure to always have that light moment of joy every moment of your life no matter WHAT the circumstances because when things seem to be at their worst do know that that one day that time will be part of the distant past! So how traumatic could it really be? Especially when you are looking forward to taking those huge happy bites out of the candy bar of life!
