The March of Time

Sometimes, during my walk through the day, I stop and reflect on how time seems to be flowing.  In this, my 57th year of life on Earth, it definitely seems to be going a lot faster than during my childhood, when a day was very long and a year seemed an eternity.  That having been said, though, even for 2012 and my advancing age, time seems to be hurtling ahead.  And it's pretty disturbing.

In sheer numerical terms, I look ahead at my future years and see a possibility of living a few more decades...let's throw out thirty years as a feasible scenario (my father is still puttering around with all of his faculties at 86).  That sounds like a lot of time to do and experience things, doesn't it?  But even if I factor out increasing limitations on myself due to physical aging, I still have to deal with the bothersome fact that time is flying by faster and faster.  Those thirty years I see ahead of me are most likely going to come and go in a flash, especially in comparison with my first thirty years. 

I am finding myself lately having to grapple with this accelerating time flow, and the only solution I can offer is to deliberately, consciously seize the present moment and live for now.  No dwelling in the past, be it for pleasant reflection or regret.  And no undue emphasis on the future either; let that take care of itself.  NO, the present moment, which does seem to be the one constant, changing thread throughout my life, is where I will make my home and live.  I can't control the clock or calendar, but I can control where I place my focus.

That doesn't mean that memories and plans don't have their places in my life.  After all, this blog is loaded with them and I'll continue to draw upon them.  But they can't rule me, either...