Today I drove my mother to get her nails done. My sister wanted to treat her for her birthday. My mom is turning 85 next week. Where does the time go? It got me thinking about time and life. It occurred to me that when we rush though life or are distracted for example eating very fast and watching TV we miss out on the taste and enjoyment of our food and neglect our family and meaningful conversation. Also, my whole family seems to inevitably choke on food from time to time and I firmly believe that if we all slowed our eating down and not talked at the same time it wouldn't happen as often. In addition, they often say it takes 30 minutes to tell if you are full, so maybe if all slowed down we would also eat less and be healthier overall.
On the way to nail salon I decided to take the Long Island Expressway (LIE) service road. Today was a sunny May day and my mother after a short while began to sleep. I had the air conditioner on low and had the songs of Peter, Paul, and Mary's greatest hits on in the background. It almost seemed like a meditative moment and I cried a bit, because this was a precious time for me. I don't know how many more times I can do this. Who really knows how much time we have. Jim Croce talked about Time in a Bottle. If only life were so simple.
I actually got to the nail salon one hour early. My mother with all her great strengths like being the worlds best schmoozer (She really should run for mayor of our town) takes forever to get out of the house. My father used to say she was always "Potchkeying". Meaning she really took her time and was often late. He would frequently tell her that an airplane flight was at 11:00 when it really was at 12:00 because he knew she was always tidying up...and needed the extra time. Today I told her appointment was at 4 when it really was 4:30. Well we had enough time to have a healthy Greek lunch and she had a great experience getting all glammed up with my sister. She really deserves to pampering, because I don't think she would do it on our own.
Driving back home after the the nail appointment we picked up some Japanese food and headed to our local favorite park Stepping Stone, but they were about to close so we ended up eating at home instead and watched old Star Trek episodes. Pretty relaxing for me but you cant beat having a picnic dinner at the park with good food and watching a sunset. Sometimes the moments at the park watching the sunset, water or just spending time soaking up the sun is the only time we venture out. Our park is definitely a delight. But obviously we are not the only ones who feel this way. It seems that taking a break like the way that many religions such as the 7th day Adventists, Jews, Muslims, etc. A day off to reconnect can slow down our pace, and perhaps appreciate life, and live longer. Scenic drives are also similar as are days at the spa or even one's birthday. A day when it seems like we are all wearing armor and nothing can upset us...Or at least that's how I feel sometimes.
Life Lesson 151: Sometimes the race doesn't always go to the swiftest sometimes it goes to most persistent. That's the way I would feel when I competed in a bicycle tour. I got the same T shirt that everyone else did even if I had to push my bike uphill, but maybe I appreciated the experience even more because I took my time to enjoy the tour, or at least acknowledged the effort it took to complete it. I firmly believe that this is a good philosophy for life, and I am posting one of my more recent poems that reflects this point of view, and don't forget when it comes to life, "Go slow!"
Go Slow
The time clock’s moving,
The payroll secretary disapproving,
And still I say, go slow.
Your date is glaring,
Her bed she won’t be sharing,
And still I say, go slow.
The doctor is stewing,
Which procedure you should be doing,
And still I say, go slow.
The bride is blushing,
The groom is home and rushing,
And still I say, go slow.
The plane is starting,
Your flight is soon departing,
And still I say, go slow.
The kids have waited,
The principal is frustrated,
And still I say, go slow.
The mother has been pushing,
Her newborn needs a soothing,
And still I say, go slow.
Your life feels like it’s moving,
The moments are yours for choosing,
And still I say, go slow.
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