There was this hole. Not unexpected but still a vacancy on what was a busy day. I had not seen the client for weeks so I pulled up their file and refreshed my memory. The challenges and problems came rushing back and I was full of contemplation and anticipation. I knew where we needed to go; it was all about where we were and how to re-engage. And poof, they didn't come in -- called and left a message to reschedule. Like a bathtub draining, all of the energy swirled away.
Now what?... a free hour! Normally a sought after respite, but today, not so much. I wanted to be distracted. Too much stuff on my mind. So... I was up to date on all of my paperwork, had checked my email, Facebook, went potty, and was on top of my game. Not enough time to go out: the next appointment was scheduled in 58 minutes. I straightened my desk... 20 seconds gone. I can just waste an hour surfing, I thought. Click, click, click... all caught up on the news. Depressing. Fifty minutes to go. More coffee? Nah, I don't feel like it. A quick stroll down the hall, all the doors were closed... no one to chat with. Forty-five minutes now. Time to contemplate life for a while... ew, yuck, more bad than good today. Best to get more distracted. Forty minutes. Tick, tick, tick. Just a half-hour to kill now. Now what? And then the list came rushing back. I had to call the doctors, call the insurance company, and return two emails. Now there wasn't enough time.
They say a minute is a minute no matter what. It's always 60 seconds. One Philadelphia, two Philadelphia, three Philadelphia...count slowly and you'll get to a minute. But some minutes take hours and other hours fly by in moments. When your heart is full of joy the minutes pass quickly in bliss. When the weight of the world, or your world, is on your shoulders there must be thousands of seconds in each and every minute.
Most of the time we don't think about time. It passes unnoticed. Time becomes important only when something needs to get done, or undone. A deadline, an appointment. Or conversely, when you're out of time... it's time to go, how much time is left, etc. Time to get up, time to go to bed, time to make the donuts. Let's get there just in time, so we can be on time. Can you be off time? Sure, when you get lost in a world of woulda, coulda, shoudas, or fantasies and daydreams. Of course there are no timepieces in those lands.
When you think back, there never seems to be enough time for what gives us the most joy. We will never say "I wish I spent less time with my friends or my family." Fulfillment comes from spending your time with those things -- and people -- that matter. In the remains of the day, many things often seem left undone. I have had many excuses for not getting the done, done.
But there is no time like the present. Remember, it's a gift.