Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion- On Time
by Paul Big Bear
Dear Friends,
How do you greet the day? Does the alarm clock sound the end of your early morning dream, do you tap the snooze button for a few more minutes of sleep? Do you just have time to comb your hair, brush your teeth, gulp a cup of coffee, and run out the door to; catch the bus, jump behind the wheel, grab a seat on the train/subway, or maybe carpool? Did you kiss the wife and hug the kids before you rushed into the day? Will your day continue the pace you set, something fast for lunch, drive through meal with fries eaten in your car while doing paperwork or making phone calls? Will you make it home for dinner with the family, or will you be working late and just grab something quick to eat at your desk. When you do get home will you have time to spend with the family? Are the kids; in bed, doing homework, getting bathed for bed, is your wife busy with them or doing dishes? Do you pitch in and help or do you have files to get ready for tomorrow when the alarm clock tells you it is time to start again. Will you make it to school in time for the ball game, concert, or play that your children are hoping you will be there to see and cheer? Finally when the weekend arrives do you sleep in on Saturday or do you have that “Round to it” list calling you “Don’t forget me, I am growing bigger every day.” 1. Paint the porch. 2. Fix the back door. 3. Cut the lawn. 4. Pull the weeds covering the walk. On and on it goes, everything demanding your time. Do you dream of going fishing, playing golf, sitting with a cold drink and watching a ball game on TV?
Then one day you wake up and realize that the kids have grown and moved on to college, a family of their own, jobs of their own. Suddenly you’re retired and the alarm clock no longer has a say in your day, your morning cup of coffee tastes extra good so you have two, maybe you actually sit and have breakfast with your wife and you find yourself asking “How are the kids doing?” and she tells you “Jr. is working extra hours this week, holiday’s are coming you know. I asked Jill to bring the family over for turkey dinner, but the car isn’t running so good for the long trip.” Do you find the “Round to it” list is still there waiting and now that you have the time to “get to it” doing it seems to take longer as you toil and find your mind wandering back to the games you missed, the plays you were late for. Suddenly your wife says “You’ve been working hard, come sit on the porch with me and have some cold sweet tea. As you sit watching the birds flying about feeding their young, the squirrels gathering nuts and berries and scurrying back to the nest, do you think as you sit rocking and sipping, “Where did the time go?” Do you find yourself saying “Next time you talk to the kids, tell them we’re going to come up and visit if they’re not too busy?”