Slowing it down...

So it’s a new year. 2013.  I didn’t do anything special to bring in the New Year.  In fact, I’m pretty sure I was asleep by midnight (Mountain Time).   I did watch the New Year arrive on CNN on the east coast, and was even still watching when the Music Note was dropped in New Orleans.   Whenever I see the activity in Time Square, I always end up wishing I was there.   The energy can be felt all the way through the airwaves.  I see the smiling faces and the shots of the New Year kisses, between happy and excited couples.  There’s music and confetti.  People had been waiting since noon to get into the square so they could be a part of the event.  I’m sure people traveled from far, far away to be there – for some, I’m sure it was part of their bucket list. 

So why wasn’t it an event for me?   I didn’t make any New Year resolutions and really didn’t think much about it all day.   For me at this point, it’s hard for me to put a vision together for the year to come.   But it just keeps coming.  Year after year, there is no slowing it down.   In fact, as most of us get older, it feels like time is moving quicker.  I know that’s not true.  The way we measure time hasn’t changed in my lifetime.  So why does it feel like it does.   That is the thought that is with me as 2013 arrives.  I’m thinking that it goes faster because the number of “events” in my life is getting fewer and fewer.   The fact is, the next “event” in my life may be weeks or months away, but that is what I’m looking forward to, and that results in my wishing time away.  If the next event only happens 4 or 5 times a year, well, that’s how I’ll remember 2013, this time next year.  But in earlier years, I know the next “event” was only a day away – or even that night!  (“Tonight” from West Side Story starts playing in the background) I suppose I often thought – “I can’t wait until I get older, or old enough to drive, or go out without a curfew, or live on my own.” but, I also know that each day, my day was usually packed with really important happenings.  Everything seemed to be really important to me back then.      

So, this year, I’m going to try to slow it down.  I’m going to make a conscious effort to not wish time away.   Starting this blog is one of the exercises I intend to use to slow it down.  Documenting activities and thoughts and conversing about issues is bound to make me consider each day a new day.   So, here I go.  It’s Jan 1^st, and it’s not over.  I took a walk, had a cup of coffee and read the paper, watched a movie and now started this blog.  Not a bad start.   See you soon.