Yo people! It’s me, Girlie. It’s Sunday and I’m going to post a Ten Things of Thankful post. That’s right. I may be showing up days after opening day but hey, Josie leaves the door open for any stragglers who still want to join in. Thank you Josie!
Here’s the funny thing. And, a thankful that will show up on this list today. No wait. Am I getting ahead of myself? How shall I explain? Oh, never mind. Let’s start at the beginning. Feeling a bit long winded today. Perhaps, it is autosuggestion from the howling that is going on outside my window 😀
I used to write “morning words” and they were just that. Each and every day. Somewhere along, oh, months ago, I stopped. The practice turned into more or less a “weekend day, maybe both days words”. The reasons are varied. One of the less consequential (or not) reasons is that the file for those words remains on “the original laptop”. The laptop I often refer to as “lapbaby”. Sure, I can transfer everything over to my new laptop but somehow, I feel that a betrayal. And now, today, more than ever, I will not betray lapbaby by even thinking about transferring that file to the “other place”.
I posted a Six Sentence Story today. The link for that hop is still open and, while it opened last Wednesday night for opening day Thursday, I still posted. Better late than never, yeah? Consider my 1st TToT.
A certain thankful supreme today is the illusion of time. Being lost in…incorrect time. Found out only after the fact. So. Time is first, a concept? Or is that more properly, a construct? What is the advantage of knowing the correct time? In the practical world there are valid, useful reasons for knowing the correct time, the time by which everyone in your timezone adheres. But in the, shall we say magical realm, time is what we believe it is and so all else shall follow. Explanation to follow. Consider my 2nd TToT.
Electronics. Vexing at times. Frustrating. I posit that what at first appears as frustration can reveal itself as gift, given the proper frame of mind. I was able to find the path that led from frustration to gift. Consider my 3rd TToT.
Better grab a beverage or snack for this one. Going to be a long one lol
I am surely thankful for my new laptop. As an individual who historically has difficulty letting go of objects of sentimentality, I did not hesitate turning on lapbaby this morning. As I mentioned in my intro, lapbaby is accessed 1x, maybe 2x a weekend. Functionality has been spotty, hence the new ‘top. Yesterday morning, I noticed that lapbaby was showing the incorrect time. And so I made the adjustment. I thought it odd, but hey, no biggie. This morning, as I wrote morning words, I happened to notice that the date was incorrect. It was still showing yesterday’s date. I tried to make the adjustment. I was convinced I was completing the proper steps and yet it kept giving me an error message. I switched to fixing the time. Kinda the same thing. Aha! I told myself that I was being distracted unnecessarily and that it wasn’t important to fix these things right this very moment. I proceeded with the morning. Consider this my 4th TToT.
As I went about my morning, I would glance at the time and see that I must be working quicker than I thought as it was still early. I even prepared breakfast, the one I used to eat during the weekdays once upon a time. It was good. It was healthy. The sun was shining and I thought, alright…I’m going to the gym next! Consider that my 5th TToT (at that moment)
When oatmeal delight was finished, and I’d replied to a couple of texts, I decided to check the time and see how I was doing. Lots to do today and only so many hours in which to do it. Sure. Maybe there’s as much time as we need but for our own self-limitation. But no! I looked down at lapbaby and the time was showing….barely after 8. Damn. I’m cruising today. And I believed that. Consider my TToT #6.
I had decided yesterday, that beside posting a 6, I would also post at Josie’s TToT. I mean. Why not? I seemed to have gotten on a tiny roll-ette this morning so no use stemming that tide. But first, I thought I’d get ready to go to the gym (my next destination) and then before heading out see if I actually had a TToT in me. I gathered my stuff, glanced at the clock on the wall and….you saw this coming right ‘cuz I sure didn’t lol. I looked at the clock and instead of still being a little after 8:00 it was 10:10! I had forgotten that lapbaby’s time had been incorrect and that I had decided not to bother trying to fix it lest I get distracted away from my task, my enjoyment of writing this morning. Consider this TToT #7.
Like a hockey puck slamming into the side of my face, I reeled at the notion that I was happy in the illusion of time that didn’t exist, as I was able to proceed through it, enjoy what I was doing and not stress that I wouldn’t have enough of it. Time that is. What a gift I was given today. Consider TToT #8.
I usually state this in the number 10 spot but today, let’s switch it up a bit.
Consider my #9. I am grateful, I am thankful to wake up today. Why not? The sun returned, there is howling outside my window. I managed to write some words. I got lost in the morning and hey! wouldja look at that. It’s still only 8:20 am 🙂
Consider last, but never least, my TToT #10. The opportunity to venture out into the day regardless of the time, actual or otherwise. To engage, participate, share and be present.
GirlieOnTheEdge's Blog 
Time has always fascinated me, and frustrated me. So little time, so much to do! Why does time seem to stand still sometimes and other times fly by? When I first heard the following quote from Dieter F. Uchtdorf, it made a lot of sense to me; time is a problem for us because we are eternal beings! Here’s the quote:
“In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.
“Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny.
“The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions—temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.
“How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings.”
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Those are questions asked way more often the older we get for sure.
Thank you for sharing Mr. Uchtdorf’s quote. I have never considered the time issue in quite those terms but I can find sense in it. And it resonates.
While not a practicing Catholic, my spirituality embraces the idea that our time on earth is an “interruption”, that there is another life, a better life when our corporeal life ends. I have no doubt that one day I will reunite with all whom I have loved, all the relatives who have gone before, those members of my family of the canine and feline persuasion who also have gone before.
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Time, or rather the experience (of it) is a funny thing. There are probably as many adages and old sayings about the character of time as there admonitions (hidden in fables and fairy tales) against messing around with magic. The thing this is, when you think about it, the ‘sayings’ about time are couched in terms descriptive of something beyond reach, whereas the warnings against straying too far from normal reality are quite specifically directed to the listener/reader.
There is a part of us that would claim dominion over everything, including time. I suspect that there is a trap hidden in what seems to such a sensible ambition. The clue (for me) is that almost all motivation to ‘save time’, ‘use your time wisely’, ‘don’t waste time’ is about outcome. Product versus process. As sure a sign of the tonal as one might need.
Castenada speaks of ‘finding and walking the path with heart’; he (through don Juan) doesn’t spend hardly any time talking about the efficiency or even the more beneficial outcome of doing so, simply says that, by finding and walking the path with heart we will live challenging and interesting lives.
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Funny, indeed.
The challenge for me is in not allowing the passage of time (on a daily basis or otherwise) to be overwhelming to the extent that it interferes with any sort of accomplishment I may have made towards the goal of “getting things done” (fun things, not so fun things, necessary tasks routine…), of moving forward.
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“Being lost in . . .incorrect time.” You achieved so much in that “incorrect time,” and you were feeling so good about what you had achieved. You summed it up correctly that it was a gift. Life all gifts, cherish them.
Summing up your post with your #9 and #10 comments is perfect.
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It was a good morning Pat. I feel fortunate I was able to carry the feeling throughout the day😊
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Any time you choose writing and getting lost in it over the gym, I think you have taken the road less traveled, and that is good.
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I totally agree Val!
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How i would love to ignore the clock more often.
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It’s a nice feeling not to be worried about the time.
I was lucky. My coffee hadn’t quite kicked in and as I got engrossed in writing, I’d absently look at the clock on the laptop every now and then. Apparently, I wasn’t really taking note to the fact that time was moving unusually slowly lol
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I’m a straggler most weeks. Long winded eh. That’s me too. Kindred spirits?
Love this song. Time of your life. I enjoyed reading this post.
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I believe we are 🙂
I do too. While the last Seinfeld episode comes to mind every time I hear it, it’s still a wonderful song.
Thank you, Kerry 🙂
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Also…hit in the side of the face by a hockey puck…ouch!
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I know!
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I could relate to this whole post so well! Time, while it serves it’s function in keeping us coordinated with each other, is a source of such frustration… there never seems to be enough of it for all that we would like to do, or else the long hours of drudgery have leave us weary and with no desire to venture out into the land of living. On Sunday here we pay very little attention to the clock, Papa Bear has one day to sleep until he feels rested, and then he has his coffee and reads the news, and breakfast often isn’t until noon. My fantasy of retired life, if he is ever able to join me in it, would be to put away the clocks that drive us and function on what feels best, eat when we are hungry, sleep when we are tired, and enjoy the wonderful energy you experienced when you thought you had more time!
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Again, nail on the head. Sometimes after a long day of work and doing the “drudge” things, I’m so drained and, like last night, come home and don’t even open the laptop. And then I feel guilty! But sometimes it’s necessary to turn off briefly and recharge the batteries 😀
A wonderful feeling not paying attention to the clock. Sundays sound like the best day of the week at your house 🙂
I hope it isn’t too long before Papa Bear can join you in a “time free” retirement where every day is Sunday.
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First off…lapbaby is so good…and so you!
Maybe find a name for the (not so) new (now) ?
Time…path with heart…
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