Friday 5 March 2010

Times Up

I could Kill Time.
Oh, hang on, isn't that what we do when we don't like the time we're in?
Certainly used to when the children were tiny and walks took HOURS AND HOURS of Very Slow Walking, followed by walking BACK to where we already had been, to look closely at a piece of Mud. Or when we would drop stones into the stream and watch the splash. And do it again. And again.
But it killed the time between Breakfast and Elevenses. So that was good.
Killing Time.
What a terrible thing to do.
And yet I have killed more time than you've had Hot Dinners. Truly. I am an Artiste Supreme in the sport of Tuer Le Temps. (That's 'Killing Time' in French! Google translator is enormous fun, you can waste HOURS on it).
Bloomin' time.
Give me some time and I used to slaughter it. Blast the poor bastard to death. Bang. Time gone.
And in those long, long days of babyhood, when each hour seemed like a day, killing time seemed like a terribly good idea.
What I didn't know was that it would become a habit.
And I continued to kill time like it was a rather unpleasant insect to be dealt with. Squashed. Finished with.
Day over. Bed. Brilliant.
Until now.
Now is Different.
Time is running away with me like a horse without a rider. And a wasp stuck to its arse. No sooner have I had my breakfast and cleaned my teeth than it's time for bed. I just about have enough hours to feed everyone, and get to Tesco. Then BANG! Time for the next day.
Time has decided to RIP through my days. Never slowing. Treating each moment like a race.
Just when I needed time to slow. Just when I wanted to savour each moment, try something new, go somewhere different. Just when I thought how nice it was to stand and stare. Just when I grew up.
Time decides to GALLOP.
I could Kill time.
But I won't. I'll savour it. If the bugger will stand still for long enough for me to grab it and hold it fast.
Hah! As if.

23 comments:

claires inner world said...

Brilliant post. Oh how true this is! I mean, it's Friday. Again. How did that happen?! I wish I could just press pause....

grumpyoldwoman said...

Worst of all is when you are on holiday and no sooner have you arrived and started to relax than it is time to leave!

Troy said...

Very philosophical! I'd write more but I've just seen the time - must dash!

Bernie said...

Excellent post.......we all could use more time and use it efficently for sure....:-) Hugs

Clippy Mat said...

that's the irony of getting older. when you're young, life goes at snail's pace and then suddenly it's like going downhill on a bike with no brakes.
wish i knew how to slow it down.
got to dash now.
:-)

Corey Schwartz said...

Oh, this post is especially relevant today. Its my daughter's sixth birthday, and all day I've been asking myself, "How on earth did that happen???

Tatersmama said...

The perfect post, as usual! How is it that when we were young, being 20 or 30 seemed so far far away.. but now that I'm XX, old age is no longer "just over the hill"... it's now just at the bottom of the slope!

diney said...

So true - yikes is that the time..got to dash...the week's flown by again.. treadmill..aaargh

Corey Schwartz said...

Hey, you could definitely get published if you wanted to! I can always tell when the talent is there!

Dorset Dispatches said...

Time never goes the way you want it to. So difficult to get a hold of. So true that some days with a toddler your time seems to take on a warped factor as you think how can that have only been five minutes? Surely an hour has passed. And then suddenly it goes onto warp speed fast forward. Scary stuff!

DJ Kirkby said...

Oooh this was a very deep post. A good one too.

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

Time flies when you are having fun LWM - is that it?! It gets speedier too, believe me. Still having fun though! A x

Pam said...

This is so true! There's just so much stuff to get done isn't there. If I win the lottery I'll get us both a cleaner - that would help.

Tattieweasle said...

The only way to slow down time is to slow down but it's easier said than done! Wonderful, wonderful post!

Expat mum said...

Ha ha. I know what you mean about little ones walking really slowly. I walked into school with my 6 year old this morning, behind a group of 4 year olds. My god - if they'd been going any slower we'd have all been going backwards!

Anonymous said...

Well said and well written! It is funny how times goes so quickly when you start getting older. And it's very unfair.

CJ xx

Ladybird World Mother said...

Oh what lovely comments... and what a Big Lazy Cow am I to do YET ANOTHER general comment to all. Talking of time, its racing again... and there are simply too many things to do and not enough time. Tattie... so true.. slow down to make time slow down.. wise words. Will have a go at that... when I have time. Ho ho. No, will REALLY have a go at that. Today.
Hugs all round. You lot rock. You really do. xxx

geraldgee said...

When you reach my age Ladybird you kill time by looking back with great nostalgia on how you killed time when you were young.

the mother of this lot said...

Dear God, you have no idea how much I relate to this post......Although you do. Obviously.

Anonymous said...

How brilliantly well put, Ladybird! I read somewhere that we perceive time as speeding up as we get older because of changes in the ageing brain (hey, you can always rely on me to cheer everyone up). So I try not to blink too much, in case I miss Christmas.

London City (mum) said...

Tag for you over at mine.

LCM x

cheshire wife said...

A fortune could be made selling time, if only we could find out how to get it into a bottle or a can.

Ladybird World Mother said...

Oh, more lovely comments and a bloomin useless blogger am I to do yet another general blasted comment... THANK YOU GUYS!!
And have written a mothers thing, LCM but its not very good yet! Will shove it on, as it were, when its good and ready. Thanks for the tag. xxx