Writing this column, I never know where inspiration or exasperation is going to come from. But come it must… once a week. This rambling ode came to me while on vacation over the holidays in southern Oregon. We stayed at a lovely, rural rental with family amid rain, trees and farms with a raging river running through our backyard. The steadiness of that river got me thinking, and thinking got me composing, and composing got me this. Enjoy, or float on.
Some rivers run. Others rampage, roll, cascade, meander, or mosey. Many multi-task as they find their place. They’re all going somewhere, moving at their own pace. Like people, the pace changes throughout the long course of the journey. Suddenly. From a trickle to a torrent and everything in between. And just like rivers with various undulations, our focus changes as we adapt, adjust, and keep moving forward.
Like time. Time always moves forward- quickly or slowly- based on incidents, accidents, circumstances, interruptions, plans, and choices. Time shifts based on expectations, constraints, unforeseen changes, hopes, happiness, tears and fears. Time stands still at times. Strange, because time flies. Time takes forever or is gone in a split second. It seems like Christmas was just yesterday. But it wasn’t.
“I have no time”. OK, ironic, because really, all I have is time. You can’t save time. You can’t bank it. It happens. You can shave time. You can feel like something’s on borrowed time. But as time unfolds, you can change your route, direction, flow, your usage of precious time. Time is a commodity. We all have limited time. When we understand that time is really all we have, then we can make decisions on how best to utilize it. I saw that while gazing at the river. We may not control time, but we have a modicum of choice over how, where, and with whom we spend it best.
Rivers race along. Time runs by. We journey through time. We journey down rivers. Over time. When pau, we don’t get overtime. Yet we live our lives over time. We all have a river of time. And then we don’t. Times up! Rivers end up ending, too. Somewhere. We can look back on how we spent our time; the journey… down the river. Here’s to peaceful passages on your 2025 river/time trip; bucolic or turbulent. Now is your time.
Think about it…