It’s so weird.
I’m just going to call it out for what it is.
I have spoken to so many people about time lately. Initially when the pandemic started (I live in NY so it started earlier here) the news felt so ominous that I thought we would never get to summer.
I literally blinked and we are looking down the barrel at the NEW YEAR.
How did this happen?
Life lately seems like it’s moving at warp speed and yet I have slowed down. No more going out, taking vacations, flying overseas for work, commuting…life has become simpler and yet the pace at which time moves seems like it’s going at warp speed.
At the beginning of all this I thought I would be bored. What am I going to do with myself? Every situation is different I know. Lara would tell you um hello, I have 3 kids at home my life is never “boring”. There were different challenges, home schooling, work, entertaining kids who couldn’t see their friends all the time. But now there’s more of a routine and kids are back to school.
Even with work, somehow it seems I have less time, but I gained 2 hours by not commuting every day (yes, I had a long commute prior to the pandemic), now I literally walk just 14.5 steps (I just went and counted them) to my home office, sit down and begin to work. Gone is the chit chat I used to have with co-workers throughout the day, I should’ve picked up that time? I still go and make tea, get my lunch etc so all of that is equal. Moving from meeting to meeting is seamless on video. Gone are the days of waiting 10 minutes for people to show up, they are instantly present.
So, I should in theory be banking all this time.
Weekends, same. I have a few errands, do some chores, but there are things that just never seem to get cleared up. Like that stack of paperwork sitting on my table. I see it every day but continue to walk by it. Before I know it, it’s been there for literally 10 days and I say to myself “where has the time gone”?
I took a day off the other day just to “get stuff done”. How did I do all this before? Because the level of “stuff I have to do” hasn’t gone up…it’s gone down. If you’re a parent of a school age child, you may view this a hair differently and time is going by because you are over the top busy. But really…you made it to December, I mean it’s December already. Seems like it should be July or something.
It’s seriously a mystery. I’ve almost, other than work deadlines, become apathetic to time. Almost like it doesn’t exist and I’m not aging this year either, it’s a pass year, am I right, still 29 HAHAHAHA. I guess sayings like “no time like the present” or “life is short, don’t waste it” have taken on a whole new meaning for me. That stack of papers, um no, getting that taken care of is not a priority, it’s not that I’m flying off to Tahiti, I’m going walking or video chatting with friends or family, something way more pleasurable.
In this bizarre place we are in, all the small things have become my big things. It’s like we are living a second life, a different life. Ironically, I have settled in, I mean I guess we kind of have not much of a choice, but time and where its going has become my big mystery.
So that’s the other reason I try to take a Woment and intentionally slow the pace down, in a time where it seems like, I should be going slower anyway. Appreciate it.
Love your blog, Christine!! Spot on!
Thank you!!!!! Hope you are doing well!!!
Gracious. You nailed this! My most productive time used to be long flights when I was inaccessible for hours at a time. I miss those. Although I have recovered all kinds of time, it is fleeting, and there are piles of neglect all around. Trying to tackle a few of those each week, and being kind to myself in the process. I miss hearing your laugh. Hope you are well!
Yes!!!! Flights….I did a lot of thinking on long flights and movie watching LOL.