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Sunday, May 13, 2007

There's always time


"Time, there's always time
On my mind
Pass me by, I'll be fine
Just give me time"


Time.

If there is anything in the world that is so universally poignant, it's time.

Try as you might, you can't fight time. You can't hurry it, you can't slow it down - oh, but if only we could.

Time never does what we want it to do. This steady, consist, unflappable enitity behaves (at times) as if it has a mind of it's own. Like it wants to rebel against us, us petty, insignificant humans who so desperately wish they could control it, to mold it to suit our needs. It laughs in our face, it does what it wishes and we can only go along. We have no choice. We are all victims of time until our time is up.

How many times has a vacation gone by so quickly - before you know it, you are back at home, back to where you started. It's like you never left. Nothing has changed - time has made progress on bringing you back, it's neglected the things you wanted changed. That - takes more time.

How many times have we flipped through pictures and are reminded that "it was only a year ago." Or perhaps, we think "Wow, it's been a year already."

How many times we have wanted time to speed up - long days at the office, sitting through a boring lecture or a bad movie, counting the days until you see a loved one again. Time can go so painfully slowly.

It's about time. Time is fleeting. Time heals all wound. Things take time. People waste time. People lose time. People need more time. People try and kill time. So use your time wisely. Time is the wisest counsellor of all. With good times, bad times, perfect timing. Time is of the essence. There is no time like the present. Time after time, time and time again. Time is the only thief we can't get justice against. Time flies when you are having fun. Time makes more converts than reason. There is a time for every matter under heaven.

Time takes time.

Let me repeat that: Time takes time.

The pain you feel in the short-term feels so unbearably long, and the happiness you will feel in the long run, seems even longer still.

Then of course, there is happiness in the short-term which feels shorter than it should and sadness in the long-run that could not come faster.

So try as you might, whatever option you choose, you still don't have a choice. Time sweeps us along, heading down that path we are all meant to go on. But when and how we each get there - is just a matter of time.

29 comments:

Dan said...

Tick tock.

Mummerina said...

Thats a really good post!!!!

Mitch said...

The passing of time, and our lack of awareness of how precious time is always astounds me, while at the same time, I'm as guilty as the rest of the world in not using time to its full advantage...

Len said...

That's a great post.

Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to be able to stop time.

wapentake said...

A timely reminder as I wait out my second bout of sciatica this year. Have added your link to my fledgling blog:

http://wapentake.wordpress.com/

WiscoBlonde said...

The nice thing about time being inevitable means that the pain fading is inevitable as well. Eventually everything will heal and you can look back on it with an objective view.

Sipwine said...

I don't know why, but this post made me sad, even though I know you didn't mean it too.
It was well put though.

Neily said...

beautifully written. You have a warmth that penetrates cyber space.

I am a new reader and find you very interesting to read!

:)

Cupcake Blonde said...

This was such a poignent and very real post. As in I mean it relates to me and my struggle with time right now. I always wish I have a time turner like in Harry Potter so I can go back or forward at will. Time is my enemy and my friend all at once.

Really well written post. Better than the naked photos I just posted on my blog. I have resorted to shock value now.

Unknown said...

My favourite responce to give to people when they ask me,
"How's life?",
is to simply state,
"Slowly passing me by."
I enjoyed that blogged :)

Todd said...

Time's a total bitch. Ask any old person.

The Stormin Mormon said...

"Victims Of Time"...

I like the phrase, moreso than any other I have heard recently.

Scorpy said...

Simply Brilliant!

Sipwine said...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6657309.stm

I thought this article was funny, just because it had "blog bandwagon" in it's title, I thought you'd get a kick out of it too.

Rachel said...

i've been very busy with new work etc. and haven't had time to catch up on reading you. it was a nice little reprieve to come and read your writing. i have missed it, and will make sure to come back again soon :) you write along the same vein that i think.

Anonymous said...

A beautifully written post...I will be back to read more :-)

almost famous kiwi said...

"who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" thats the verse i go to when i start to worry about time.
The beauty about time is that even when it feels like its not changing it is. The one thing we know for certain is that the time we have right now is the only time that is promised. So even in the dark and scary times we need to find our strength and try to enjoy the life we have. The worst thing you can do is try to race through your life, even the hard times are worth going through because how do you know what happiness is if you've never felt pain?

Todd said...

"Go ahead, go ahead and light up the town
And baby, do everything your heart desires
Remember, I'll always be around
And I know, I know
Like I told you so many times before
You're gonna come back, baby
'Cause I know
You're gonna come back knocking
Yeah, knocking right on my door
Yes, yes!

Well, time is on my side, yes it is
Time is on my side, yes it is..."

dahna said...

Beautiful. So true. Part of experiencing this life is living through painful times. Kind of related, but not directly - there's a poem out there by someone (Rumi, perhaps?) about how our minds are like guest houses for emotions. We should open the entry and exit doors freely for all emotions (whether they are happy, sad etc) and treat them like guests, knowing that they will depart soon. I totally butchered the poem in my re-telling, but the image has always stuck. I sense you is not too happy right now, so maybe the mental image might help you as well?

dahna said...

oh, and ps, on the nature of time, my holiday in Canada is already starting to feel like it is running out. I am here for a year and I am only two and a bit months into it. Crazy, huh?

Shasta said...

Time does go so fast. It's crazy to think about. My mom reminded me that I'll be 24 when my boyfriend gets back from Afghanistan. I had to sit there and just think about things. A whole year is going to pass by without being near each other. It's totally mind boggling.

Cupcake Blonde said...

Sorry meant to put this comment on THIS post...

I tagged you for a restaurant meme to pick the top five restaurant in your area that you love to go to. Read my post for all the details.

http://lifevegasstyle.blogspot.com/2007/05/food-my-favorite-thing.html

Dizzie said...

Is there a more enervating thing to hear then "I need more time"?

Is there a sader thing to know then "of all the sad things heard and seen - the sadest was, 'it could have been'..."?

I hate time passing on nothing. Wasting time, passing time, spending time (apart). Our lives are just time, right? Sad... *sigh*

Melissa said...

Wow I found this post really relevant.

A relative of mine (I wasn't that close to him) died recently and it got me thinking how I only saw him six months ago, and he seemed relatively fine, or at least the same as always, and then time just came and took him away...

Then I had some bad experiences a year ago and I found myself thinking "wow, a year ago I was here, look how far I've come since then" and I realised time really does heal everything eventually, no matter how much we hate it and criticise it.

Then I was thinking back on the year I spent in Europe and how that was three years ago now, and how when it came to the end I had so many fixed feelings because my time there had come to an end and on the one hand i wanted that time to never end and on the other I wanted it to just speed up because I wanted to see home again. In the end it just played itself out as it always does and once again I'm left with the memories of the good friends and good cheer.

Then I was thinking about how much things can change in the course of a month in terms of a relationship - how you can start with this really bright spark then within a few short weeks it all gets gently doused with drops of reality.

Time's a bitch but it makes for some really eloquent poetic musings, as I've found here. Loved this blog!

link exchange?

Wanderlusting said...

Dan- goes the clock?

Karina- Thanks!

Mitch- Also guilty

Len- Stop time and speed it up - how I would love to do that. Go back in time and relieve those special moments before your whole life turned to shit

Wapentake- thanks!

Wisco- I hope so. Thanks darling :)

Sipwine- Well I was sad when I wrote it. And I look pretty sad in that photo I posted...but no, I did not wish to make other people sad.

Neily- that is the nicest thing for you to say. I'm glad someone thinks I have "warmth" to me, it's not something you think of yourself having.

Vegas- Nothing wrong with shock value!

Celeste- thanks, glad you liked it!

Todd- true that.

Stormin- I had to back and re-read the post - I wasn't sure if the quote came from me or not!

Scorpy- as are you ;)

Rachel- I've always thought so too

StePHen- come back soon, ya hear!

Kiwi- That is all very true - hurts like a bitch, the truth though...

Todd- Well at least YOU have time on your side...

Dahna- I prefer butchered poems to the original ones. I can butcher Keats like no one else...

*S- That is tough. Time can be so unkind to those of use in love.

Vegas- great, I'll try and get on it in the next few weeks or so (procrastinator that I am).

Heart- Your comment made me cry. How true, what could have been? Time can be very cruel and sad at times - I wish I could lift out of it.

Melissa- I suppose the only fairness of time is that it effects everyone. Only not everyone views it the same way - those who have never had their heart broken will never feel the soggy weight of time on them, waiting and waiting for the pain to pass. Those who have never had few precious moments with someone will never understand that yearning to slow down each and every minute.

Todd said...

I just noticed that you're sitting in the picture in this post. Am I the first person to say that you look like Jessica Simpson?

Wanderlusting said...

Todd - Yes you are.

That's a lie, actually. But I'll give it to you :)

BecsLifeOnline said...

*Speechless* = Great post!

flames*of*ice said...

kiwi...."how do you what sadness is if you've never felt the pain?" great question to ponder about...its like the one: "how do you know what light is if you've never seen the dark?"