Reprinted from February 1997
We who work with watches work with time. Time is the one asset we all have which is divided equally no matter what age, race, financial status or health. I’ve decided God made a mistake when he created time because there isn’t enough of it.
During December we all came to work earlier and worked later. This meant I was eating breakfast at 6:30 and dinner at 8:30. Health gurus tell us we should not eat and go to bed right away. I found after I watched the six o’clock news I’d taped I had taken to discontinuing prayers during this time because it would save a few minutes. Either that or I could give up showering or washing the dishes. I wondered how families, especially women, could get up, dress their children and deliver them to day care and get to work by 9 a.m. I kept thinking it must be God that allotted them more time than I received. Even their pets looked well groomed and healthy.
Part of my problem is that those in my general age group are retired. Retired persons often have nothing to do and all day to do it in. One evening one of my friends dropped by and I was visiting with him and I said, “Excuse me, I’ve got to go move my clothes from the washer to the dryer.” And he remarked, “Who on earth would be doing their laundry at this time of night?” I said, “When would you have me do it? At 3 a.m.?”
I sometimes find myself ironing something to wear at 6 a.m. My doctor tells me to do exercises every day. Since I had to be at work earlier during December, when I put up the Christmas tree I put the exercise bike in the storeroom. Didn’t have time to spare and if one is going to cut out something it might as well be something which isn’t enjoyed all that much.
During December I picked up my paper on the way to the car but seldom found time to read it. Calls on my answering machine went unanswered. The yard needed to be raked. I don’t live where there is snow or miserably cold weather and some yard work goes on year round.
Somehow I had to find time to purchase and wrap the gifts I give. I had to remember who would be the recipients of smaller gifts such as beauty operator, mailman, UPS man, FedEx, etc. Fitted into this tight schedule I had to think of an appropriate gift and buy it. I noticed my suits and dresses needed to be cleaned and I hadn’t had time to get past the cleaners to pick up or drop off. My dogs looked as if they were abused strays. The cleaning woman complained we were out of Windex and Lysol because I hadn’t gotten by the store. My milk went sour in the refrigerator and I hadn’t had the opportunity to buy any. I was driving one day and the buzzer went on indicating I was so low on gas it was giving me due notice to stop and do so immediately. My car is under warranty and the dealer had ordered a panel which cracked and they called me three times in December to remind me it was here. My elderly neighbor had to have a ride to the airport so I had to squeeze this in. Time is indeed valuable.
Here it is January and my yard looks like it hasn’t been touched since October or maybe even September, my dogs look like refugees from the pound. There are pine needles all over the house. I seem to be out of many important items such as those which go in the bathroom. My hair is down to my shoulders and needs to be cut and I gained five pounds since November. Thank God I am now back to my usual hectic pace.
