i’ve always set my clocks and watches at least five minutes forward. this was my way of hassling myself. not that i am ever behind… i’m not. but it has been my rule in life to always be on time, even if that means being a little bit early. ‘after all,’ i always told myself, ‘getting there early is better than getting there late.’ but what has this done for me but lose me five minutes of life for every event at which i had to be present? five plus five plus five plus five… how many times? i have wasted enough time trying to meet someone else’s time. besides, wasn’t it albert einstein who once said that the only reason we have this construct called time is so that everything doesn’t happen all at once? i like this thought. and i will not argue with it.
this morning. i set all my clocks and watches right on time! i will no longer be the one who is early just to be present. i will be there on time… or not. i will start saving my five minutes here and there, and i will hold them lovingly between my palms. and at the end of each day, i will bathe myself in all of those precious minutes… mine… mine… mine… each and every one of them!
i will no longer try to race time. i will play with it… slowly. with relish… and pleasure… and joy. and i will smile while doing it, because i believe… i know… that time is only there so that everything doesn’t happen all at once.
