Aging Capriciously

“Find More You Time!” This was a heading from a recent magazine cover. The byline was: “ten tips to try today.” Would you like to know what they are? First, let’s talk about the subject of this article. How often do you see tips for saving time? Seems just about every day another article or expert is telling you how to “save” time? Do you know anyone who has time in a bank someplace? “Yesterday I saved forty minutes and added it to my bank.” I now have six hundred hours in my bank to use or to extend my life-time with. Wow, now that would really be something! Imagine if we could add our “saved” time on to the end of our life. To date, I have not heard of any time savings plan that would allow us to do that. Mores the pity!

Whenever I “save” time, I usually end up just relaxing. I suppose I could apply it to my next task and have more time to do it in, but it never seems to work that way. I mean, if you save time traveling someplace, what does that really get you? More time to do the next job or maybe a little more piece of mind. Savings time seems to be akin to those ubiquitous diet plans that are always going to save you calories and thus help you lose weight. Do you see all of the people that have lost weight?

Maybe we are trying to do the wrong thing. Maybe saving time is not the right way to look at time. If we cannot really save time, then why describe it that way? What most of these ideas are about is really doing things faster or more efficiently. However, isn’t that what puts us on the treadmill in the first place? Always trying to do things faster and more efficiently; how many of us have become multi-taskers and to what benefit? Does multi-tasking really make us more productive or does it just cause us more stress. Maybe we need to learn how to waste time more. Maybe we need to play more and have more fun?

Are you always trying to save time? Have you managed to store time up for a rainy day? Are you always multi-tasking? Are you stressed out about not having enough time? Is your concern for saving time making you happier or more productive? What if you took more time for fun and play in your life? The hell with saving time!

Staying fit by the clock. Can time affect our diets? Some experts proclaim that there is a best time for everything. They say this applies to eating, sleeping, drinking and exercising. By following the best times, they report that you can stay healthier and happier. Staying fit by the clock is a philosophy that stresses consistency. You exercise and eat at consistent times during the day. However, with the many changes that each of use faces in our lives, we must fit our exercise and eating into the varied patterns that our daily schedule will face. Modern life does not allow many of us the luxury of a fixed schedule that never changes.

For instance, in terms of my own exercise schedule, I find that it must be flexible to accommodate my teaching schedule. My teaching schedule changes from quarter to quarter. Thus some quarters, I am teaching nights and others days. I adapt my exercise schedule to these changes. Some months, I exercise in the morning, some in the afternoon and some in the evening. There might be better times to exercise, but some exercise is better than no exercise regardless of when I do it. I have even run as late as 11 PM when it was dark and quiet.

I also like to pay attention to my body clock as well as my time clock. I don’t care if it is “eating” time or supper time. If I am not hungry, I am not going to eat. Eating by the clock seems foolish to me. We have so many experts giving us advice that we forget to listen to our own common sense. What does your body tell you? Do you feel good? Do you feel healthy? Are you proud of your looks and your health? If not, then you probably need to do something different. Explore, read, and ask an expert but DO NOT put all of your health and happiness into an expert’s hands, no matter how many degrees they have.

How can you take charge of your life and your time now? What is keeping you from taking responsibility for your own life? If you already feel that you do, wonderful.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. This is another popular old saying having to do with the virtues of getting up early. I must confess I have tried to adhere to this one as well in my life. Perhaps, it just suits my lifestyle but somehow I can always hear it in my mind as I rise out of bed. I love to get up as early. The world is my oyster and it is just waiting for me to open it. The sooner I get up the faster I can open my oyster.

In terms of accruing benefits (health, wealth and wisdom), I would say my life has been blessed by at least one of these benefits. I have been very healthy (to date). Has this benefit accrued because of my tendency to rise early and go to bed early? I seriously doubt it. More likely it has to do with my exercise routine and watching my weight.

This saying is generally attributed to one of the founders of this country and perhaps its wisest person ever, Dr. Benjamin Franklin. It is quoted almost verbatim in his Poor Richards Almanac, thus helping to make it a very popular aphorism. However, recent research shows that the saying can be found quoted in the Paroemiologia Anglo-Latina or Proverbs English, and Latine (1639) almost one hundred years before Franklin used it.

Thus it seems obvious that old sayings have a way of being around and recycled. Perhaps, we need to rephrase it for the 21st century. A new version might go as follows: “Early to bed is quite impossible and early to rise is a silly waste of a good bed.” I know my spouse would agree with that. Can you think of a better way to rephrase this old saying?

When I was young, I learned the saying “the early bird catches the worm.” Somehow, I really internalized this phase and it has become a sort of mantra for me. I can hear myself saying this a million times over in my life. Perhaps this ingrained bit of advice has become the defining way I live my life. I am forever up early; early to appointments, early to airports, early to parties, early to events. It does not really matter what the meeting is, I will be early for it.

Reflecting on it a bit, what does this little advice about catching worms really mean? I have seldom, if ever, caught a worm and when I did, it was in the evening. I remember shining my flashlight at night on the lawn and finding all sorts of worms. I don’t ever recall seeing any worms in the morning. You might say, well it is evident that getting up early helps you get the day going sooner, you have more time to spend and you will be more successful. At least, that is what I think it was supposed to mean. I have done this all my life, always gotten up early, been early to all my appointments and I am still waiting for my worm. Maybe, if we knew what worm we were supposed to be looking for, it would be easier. However, I am still not sure what kind of worm I want or even if I really want to catch a worm. Judging by the amount of late people out there, it would appear that many other people are not interested in catching worms.

Is there any validity to this bit of wisdom? Will you really be more successful, if you are an early bird? Do you think the “early birds” are catching more worms in life than the latecomers? Have you caught all the worms you want yet? Did you find “getting up early” was your key to success? Do you think you would be more successful, if you were more of an early bird? What works for you in your life, sleeping late or getting up early? Does it really make a difference?

Thursday is the day we are on the downward side of the week. In some countries, Thursday is the fourth day of the week and in others, it is the fifth day of the week. It was first named after the Roman god Jupiter. In English, Thursday became “Thor’s Day”, since the Roman god Jupiter was identified with Thor in northern Europe. Thor was the Norse God of Thunder. The Scandinavians believed that as his chariot crossed the sky, Thor wielded a hammer that shot lightening through the clouds.

When we think of Thursday now, we probably don’t think of Gods and Thunder any more. We are probably thinking “Tomorrow is Friday, one more day to go this week.” Even though many of us love our work and miss it when we are on vacation too long, the freedom of the weekend and what Saturday and Sunday represent beckons us the entire week. We mark the days until the weekend. Each week becomes a journey we take and on the way, we pass through Thursday. It is not the most remarkable day in the week nor is it the hardest day in the week. Its primary significance seems to be that by the time Thursday comes around; we know that tomorrow (Friday) will be the END of the week.

Of course, if you work weekends this will not be true. If you do not work a standard week, then very likely Thursday will not have the same meaning for you.
What does Thursday mean for you? What notable or special events in your life do you associate with Thursday? What is the single best thing that ever happened to you on a Thursday?

“Make time!” is a phase that rings hollow in our ears. How often have you been told to make time for something that you needed to do? Do you know what you can make time out of? Is time made out of clay or wood or steel? Are there blueprints for making time? As valuable as time is, I know of no one who can professionally make time. Only God can make time. If we could “make time” we would also be gods, since God was the only one in the bible who made time.”

Of course, you might say that I am missing the point or at least not responding accurately to the true meaning of the phrase. What people really mean is that they want us to find the time, to reprioritize our time or to drop something else that we are spending time on so that we can do something else. None of the activities that we can do to reschedule our time really “make” time; they simply shift our priorities or they shift what we spend our time on. If I could really make time, I could have a 48 hour day each week in which I could catch up on things. While everyone else would only have a 24 hour day, my day would be twice as long. I would say “today, I have 48 hours.” I would not want to have to work twice as long or twice as hard. I would simply “will” my day to have 48 hours compared to the rest of the world. As I watched each of you work, it would appear that you were moving in slow motion compared to me. One day like this each week would be enough.

If I could sell this ability to make time, think how rich I would be. How many people would love to be able to purchase a 48 hour day each week? How much would they pay for it? What would I make this time out of is another question. The third law of thermodynamics states that matter and energy are neither created nor destroyed but simply changed from one form to another? I would be making something out of nothing which again is beyond mere mortals. But what if you and I could make time simply by willing it so? How much extra time each week would you make for yourself? Why? What would you do with it? Would you share it with others or keep it for yourself?

“I recommend you to have a firm and generous proposal to always serve God with all your heart. Do not worry about tomorrow. Think about doing good today. And when tomorrow comes, it will be today and then you can think about it.” – Padre Pio, July 4, 1917.

A few years ago, Karen and I went to Italy to visit. We visited Rome and did all the traditional sites. We saw the Vatican, the Pieta, the Spanish Steps, the Coliseum and many other famous sites that now elude me. After a week of Rome, we left for the town of Quadrelle outside of Naples. We love to spend time in both city and country, leaning more heavily to the time we can spend in the more rural areas. Quadrelle was a fabulous little town in the Campania region of Italy. It was close to the Amalfi Coast as well as many attractions such as Pompeii, the Isle of Capri and the Castle at Caserta. In addition, it was smaller and friendlier than Rome.

One of the things that struck me was the love that the local people had for Padre Pio. There was a statue of him in a little park in town. I had only passing acquaintance with him and no real knowledge of his life. To me, he was just another “Saint” or perhaps someone whom they were debating over sainthood. To the locals, there was no question that he was a saint. One might think he became a saint because of great accomplishments, great deeds or great heroics. However, it was just the opposite. Padre Pio was a very simple man. He was not high up in any orders of the church hierarchy. In fact, for many years, his own church persecuted him as a fraud and psycho. Today he is loved because he was a very wise and kind man. The quote above is from one of his many letters explaining how to live more fully.

Many great spiritual traditions advise us to live in the present and not worry about things we cannot fix or times that we have no control over. Nevertheless, many of us spend our time needlessly worrying about the future and forget about living for today. What can you do today that would add some measure of good to the world? The Boy Scouts say: “Do a good deed daily.” That’s not such a bad idea. Doing a good deed each day is a great way to live in the present. What is one “good deed” you can do for someone today?

Holidays or holy-days! When does a holy-day become a holiday and vice versa? Is Christmas a holiday or a holy-day? Is Easter a holy-day or a holiday? Is the Fourth of July a holiday or a holy-day? Do we any longer care? It often seems like it is just another day off to most people? Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day and many other “special” days have lost their meaning. They have become corrupted by our greed for leisure time and pleasure. How many of us celebrate their true meaning anymore? Is the meaning of Christmas in Santa Claus and the frantic search for new toys and the right gift? Is the meaning of Easter in the Easter bunny and colored eggs? Is the meaning of Thanksgiving in a stuffed turkey?

The word “holy” means: “belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com). While I would not want to be thought of as the Grinch who stole Christmas, I think we have lost sight of the sacred and the divine in too many of our holy-days. “Render unto Caesar and render unto God”! We have become lost with Caesar and forgotten God in our zest for celebration. Our sense of the divine and sacred has been subordinated to our sense of recreation and entertainment. Holy-days have become holidays and we forget their very reason for being. There is a great loss in this forgetting. Who is more important, God or Caesar? We can lose our direction and purpose in life by leaving out the sacred and holy and replacing it with the mundane and material.

Do you remember the sacrifices that many made for your liberty on the 4th of July or your day of independence? Do you remember the heroism and suffering paid by millions on Memorial Day or May Day for your freedom? Do you stop to give thanks for your blessings on your Holy Days or is it just business as usual? Are you one of those who have lost your sense of perspective on these special days? Are your holy-days just another day of vacation? What will it take for you to put the holy back into your holidays and to remember their true meaning?

When your past is prime! We all know people who more or less dwell in the past. For many of us, the best times we can remember are past times. The future is uncertain, but we can remember those glory days of yesteryear. We still remember the feelings when we were high school heroes, when we were madly in love, when we ran our personal best or when we received first place in the race. Moreover, like the song by Mary Hopkins says:

We thought they’d never end
We’d sing and dance forever and a day
We’d live the life we’d choose
We’d fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.

However, all things must end and someday all of us will have our past primes. There will come a time in all our lives when our best days are behind us. Some of us will manage to move on, but some of us will stay stuck in the past with memories we do not want to or cannot put behind us. This sounds so inevitable and so fatalistic that it is hard to accept or refute. But perhaps it can be disputed. Perhaps we can always look forward to better days. Perhaps we can continue to have primes in front of us.

What if the conditions of primes were dependent on the choices we make rather than on the vicissitudes of time and fortune? Have you noticed that some people seem to be able to continue with their lives, while others seem to give up on life? Fred Beckey, the famous mountaineer (who is still climbing and is now almost 89 years old) was asked if he regretted not having climbed Mt Everest. He replied “I still have that to look forward to.” Has Fred simply choice a different route? Has he simply refused to give up or accept a “truth” that many of us would say was inevitable? Learn about Mr. Fred Beckey by going to the following link. You will hear and see a man who is 88 years old and still rock and mountain climbing. http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/12/15/sports/golf/1194835655194/the-old-man-of-the-mountains.html

What does it take to keep moving forward and searching for new adventures and new primes? Are you stuck in the past or have you chosen to move forward? Which do you think is the better way? Why?

The Apocalypse- the end of the world, the coming of judgment day, the day of reckoning! The word Apocalypse has held a series of ominous meanings for hundreds of years now. It is not unusual to hear some “fire and brimstone” TV evangelist telling us that this day is coming very soon. If you are reading this, you have no doubt survived just such a prophecy. According to this latest prophecy, the world was going to end on May 21,2011. Our next chance for Apocalypse is predicted to be for December 21, 2012. This theory is based on the Mayan Calendar rather then the bible. If the end does come, it probably will not make a difference.

“The term Apocalypse was first used among Hellenistic Jews to refer to a number of writings which depicted the future state of the world in a parabolic way (e.g. Apocalypse of Baruch). The whole class is now commonly known as ‘Apocalyptic literature’. However, the Apocalypse technically refers to the unveiling of God, and not to the destruction of the world, just of our preconceptions” (Wikipedia).

The writing of the Apocalypse that comes to mind for many Christians is the last book of the New Testament. This is the Apocalypse of John or the Book of Revelation. The book is a somewhat mystical treatise on the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus Christ. Much as with the writings of the prophet Nostradamus, people are able to read many things into this work. It is often invoked to imply the damnation of the world as we now know it because the world is full of sinners and they will need to be purged before the rest of us can go to heaven. In the Book of Revelation, John writes: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end… But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

There is a deeper message here that can be implied regardless of your faith or religion. This message is that we all need to keep our houses in better order, because we never know when the end, our end is near. I would give long odds that I will meet my end, many millenium before the world comes to its end. Looked at this way, the Apocalypse that is coming soon will be mine. Will I be ready to meet my last days?

Will you be able to face your final moments on earth knowing that you were kind and charitable to all people? Are you living the life you want to live? If you had to be judged today, would you be found guilty or innocent? Is your house in order? Are you ready to meet your maker today?