Where did time go?

It seems like it was only yesterday that it was the 1st of July and I was learning my most important time-management lesson about projects I've ever learned. It seems like there was no July after that, and somehow it's August. It's amazing, how just having the house (I live with my parents still) to myself, all alone with my cats, makes me realize how fast time truly has flown by.

I know many different people... as do most of us. Many of us have friends that enjoy a quiet night at home or with one or two friends at a coffee shoppe as opposed to a night out with 5+ friends either at someone's house or out somewhere. It's amazing to really compare these types of people... and you know what? I'm glad to be that person that like's to stay in or only go out with a few friends at a time.

This way of life has given me a very recent perspective on time. I think I gained it by having the time to myself in the evenings to just sit and be with myself, whether it's reading a good book, writing in my journal, or just listening to music. This quiet, alone time is like a reflection time. I don't know where I'd be without it.

This past weekend I had a massive blast from the past happen. I got to see two of my friends from high school that I hadn't seen in two or three years. I also house and dog sat at my old high school teacher's house that weekend. That alone time combined with seeing friends from high school was like a HUGE stop sign looming out of nowhere! It made me really think...

Imagine all the things that you've done in the past year. Now imagine two years. If you can, try three years. That's a lot of things right?! Yet, some of the things that you did two or three years ago seem like yesterday. Seeing my friends from high school made me really think back at all the time that has really passed since we last saw each other. I've done so many things in that amount of time.

Now, remember when you were a kid and days, months, and years would seem to drag by? Summer was so long, and winter was even longer? What happened to that? What caused us to view life and time so differently? We were just as active, if not more active as children, yet, time seemed to go by so slow back then.

Is this due to a change in perspective? Are we looking forward to tomorrow more than we were when we were kids? Are we too concerned with things like work, working out, and chores and not concerned enough about relaxing and enjoying time with other people? What is this? Why is this happening?

A good quote for this comes from the Dalai Lama...

'The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered, “Man… Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”'

Contemplate this. I know, many people say "oh it must be nice to sit on a mountain and eat rice all day" or something to that extent... but really, we can create time in our lives to make room for the present. We can have time to live in the present. It's great to have that.

Personal example:

This weekend was my boyfriend's birthday (Happy 22 Will!) I had to house sit and work all weekend (yes, Fri, Sat, and Sun), but luckily Sunday I got out extra early and was able to go up to Will's for the afternoon. After an elongated car ride, I finally got there. We went out to lunch with his parents, came back and chilled, went and visited my brother and his family who were vacationing a town over, came back and opened presents and ate cake, and then finally went out to dinner, just him and I. It was late, I was going to leave at 9 the latest, because it takes 2.5 hours to get to my house from his.

Yes, the making time for the present example can end here, but it continues...

We got back from dinner at 9, I went in to his house, said bye to his mom, had some stomach issues and was about to leave when I suddenly felt too sick, too tired, and too anxious to drive home. So I didn't. I stayed over, even though I had caught a small bout of food poisoning (as did Will, sorry love!). But it was great. I didn't have to rush. I got to spend more time with Will. Even though I left at 6AM this morning, it still feels like I've had three or four days in one today.

Life is beautiful. Don't rush. Make sacrifices. Live a little- actually, live a lot.