Time is Relative By Estelle Brewer
N
ot to corrupt Einstein’s theory of relativity, but time is certainly relative (no, not just when measuring it with your relatives!). And it doesn’t creep at “its petty pace from day to day” as the Bard indicated. Nope! Time can fly or it can creep. Depending on your perspective, your activity, or perhaps even your age. Ask a child his age and you will most likely get the answer, “I’m six and a half!” We Boomers certainly don’t say, “I’m 70 and a half!” Time is flying for us. A friend of mine recently stated this concept succinctly. She said, “I have breakfast on Monday morning and by lunchtime it is Tuesday. At dinnertime it is already Friday!” We try to hold on to those moments in time that we realize are precious: a grandchild’s birthday, lunch with old friends, or holiday gatherings. Those events seem to pass all too quickly. On the other hand, some of our activities eat up our precious time. Waiting at the doctor’s office steals too much time away from our retirement life. (Others who are gainfully employed may want to sit there all afternoon since they are released from work for a doctor’s appointment.) We don’t have time for slow grocery lines, road work, or long-winded preachers.
Twenty-five years can be a long time or a very short time. I think 25 years of CML is something to celebrate; but hanging on to my 25 year-old sweater…not so much! I just can’t grasp the concept that I have clothes older than the college students I teach. I think that sweater still looks great and is not out of style. It’s what you might call “classic.” Truthfully, I am probably considered a “classic” model myself. I have had some repair work done so I do not have all my original equipment. I am the proud owner of two new hips, two new knees, and two surgically-enhanced wrists. Thankfully time doesn’t rob Boomers anymore of our independence or mobility. Time is certainly our friend when we consider all the medical advances of the past 25 years. But it comes down to your perspective. For example, my neighbor was washing dishes at her kitchen sink absent-mindedly thinking of the day’s events when she noticed a man in her backyard. That sight brought her out of her daydream and she thought to herself, “Who is that old man walking across my yard?” After her mind cleared, she realized that the man was her husband with his yard hat on. She didn’t see the effects of time passing because in her mind he is still the man she married
forty years ago. More to the point is the woman who complained that the drivers’ license bureau made a mistake on her driver’s license. She maintained that she was blonde but the examiner wrote “white hair” on her card! Her perspective was not the same as everyone else’s. Remember Y2K? Wasn’t that just a few years ago? (Almost 25 years ago now!) But look how far we’ve come since all the dire predictions of Y2K. I remember learning to do email and feeling so tech savvy. And now when I need help getting my program on television, I just call my kindergarten grandson for some help. Yesterday I misplaced my phone and was frantically looking for it when my brilliant grandchild took my wrist and spoke into my watch. Magic! My phone began pinging and was easily located. Now toddlers learn to walk towards a computer! 25 years! A long time or a quick interlude? Either way, this Boomer plans to keep looking ahead to 25 more years of good mountain living with CML. Happy Birthday, CML!
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Summer 2022 —
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