Age and Time

-

How is it that age and time are so inextricably linked? Our perspective about time changes as we age. And with passing age we begin to value time.

When we are young, say until the first decade of life, there is no concept or understanding of time. What matters is the here and the now. I would say that is the primary cause of all childhood tantrums and meltdowns! We do not understand what 'later' means.. that's as good as a 'no.' At that age, we can't think of tomorrow or next week. All that matters, all that exists is 'now.'


Then in the second decade of life, suddenly 'now' and 'later' exchange places. The teenage brain often likes to be in a state of constant inertia and can't be bothered with hurrying up anything. Why do something 'now' when it can be done 'later?' (I have first hand experience of this with a teenager at home!)


Then, we step out into the real world and find everyone is running a race, a race to achieve so much, acquire so much, do so much, be so much while still trying to stop time in its tracks. Time just seems to pass quicker as our years go by. Each one of us runs this race in our very individual manner. But the opponent for each of us is the same: time. What we often fail to recognise is that while we have so many different activities to manage, time has only one activity to do – run! And it does so relentlessly, steadfastly, unwaveringly and has been doing so, ever since the beginning of, well, time!


As we age, time becomes a friend, and an enemy, simultaneously. A friend because now there is time on our hands to do as we please without rushing and an enemy because we begin to rue time not used wisely in the past. We often wish to redo past deeds in a different, more acceptable manner.


On a personal note, I realise that having MS has taken away precious time which will not come back and I must try to be careful and prudent with whatever time I do have with me.


As we go through life, our relationship with time changes over the years. From not having any idea about what time is and what it stands for, to life teaching us that time, alongside good health, is perhaps the most precious commodity one can have. If we don't value it, it will quietly slip by and go along its way. So, let us accord it the respect it deserves.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Choices

-
Life is all about choices. The choices we make and the ones we don't.  From the moment we awake till the time we fall asleep at night, our day is filled with choices. From the simple act of brushing one's teeth to the more complex actions and decisions that we undertake during the day, they are all a result of a choice we have made. Most are subconscious — those that happen because the outcome of that choice is the most desirable. They then become ‘habit, ’ an automatic choice. Conscious choices are the tricky ones. We make these based on our own understanding, belief and experience of circumstances and situations, which keep changing and evolving. Ever so often, don't we rue our choices and think we could have done differently? When one is younger, the choices are made often without too much thought about future repercussions. Caution is thrown to the wind. Being wary of one's actions is not a priority because the focus usually is more on immediate results. Scrolling ...
Read more

Caring for the Elderly

-
When a child is born, the whole world jumps in to help. The well-being of the child takes precedence over everything else.  Parents sometimes move cities, states or even countries to ensure the right surroundings for the child to grow up in. As the child grows up, again, there is help at hand on how to manage every aspect of the child's growth. From building emotional intelligence and acquiring social skills, to honing inherent qualities, developing life skills and academics. There are scores of books on parenting. And this starts from the womb. Case in point: the book ‘What To Expect When You Are Expecting.’ The title says it all and the slew of information continues.  On the other end of the spectrum are the Elders. It is said old age is a ‘second childhood.’ This is because, like infants, older people sometimes lose control of their senses and also become dependent on others and require care. But that is where the similarity ends. Take a pause and think — have you read an...
Read more

Turning Fifty

-
I turned fifty yesterday! Many relatives, friends and acquaintances congratulated me and wished me many more years ahead. I too, had been waiting to turn fifty and now I finally am! I had written about this last year. It was like reaching an important milestone. I couldn't wait! However, since the past couple days, as the date drew near, I had been feeling a strange sense of distance from the whole idea of 'I'm fifty!’ Don't get me wrong… I'm still excited about turning fifty. But it also brought home the fact that I have been around for five decades! Total fun trivia: that's 600 months or 2600 weeks or 18263 days of existence! It felt a bit overwhelming. I also felt old… not old as in ancient or outdated or worn out or weatherbeaten. I felt old as in wise and experienced and aware and considerate. Even vintage, like wine that gets better with age. We celebrate these milestone birthdays of 18, 21, 30 and so on, each marking a significant point of transition from...
Read more