January 12, 2017 -  Time and the Art of Living by Robert Grudin

          Recently my time has been slipping through my fingers like sand.   Since I am between “gigs” as I call them . . . due to a seasonal shut down. . . I’ve spent the first few weeks like a beached fish flopping around not knowing what to do. I have sort of wandered around in the fog having no “pressing matters” to attend to, sort of in a depressing limbo.  I wanted rest and relaxation, but don’t feel like I have accomplished either.

          We are already at the 12^th day of the month and I honestly cannot list much that I have accomplished – except for cleaning and tossing out trash.

          So, I need to get to grips with actually scheduling my days instead of just letting myself bob along doing things on a whim and fancy.

          Today, I actually took the Christmas ornaments off the tree and put them away. I put the manger set away.  Just the tree needs to be carried off to the shed for storage.  I changed the mantel piece from Christmas to Valentine’s Day.  I’ve dug out my heart shaped bowls.  I have a rather impressive collection – one I picked up here, another I picked up there.  Mom gave me two lovely ones.  They are clustered in the kitchen for use for the season.

          And, I actually cleaned the china cabinet today [only because I was rummaging around getting Valentine’s things out.]  That was an undertaking.  I emptied it out by section, washed everything, and re-arranged things.  I moved some glasses that I love but had not been using to a more accessible place.  At this point shouldn’t I be enjoying all my lovely things? 

Yes.  I need to get into the motto:

Use them don’t save anything – save for what?

What is better than the present?

          Then, I re-thought an upper cabinet near the kitchen where I had my food processor.  I realized the last time I was putting it away – it was difficult to get it the cabinet.  I moved it to a better location with easier access. Smart move now, what took me so long?  DAH? 

          Having done enough cleaning for the day I decided to purge a portion of a bookshelf.

          Time and the Art of Living –sounded good to me since I am having this “time” issue of seemingly wasting it.  Author is Robert Grudin, and this copy is dated 1982.  Over 35 years old – no wonder I don’t remember what it was about.  But, I kept it, so if I kept it – there had to be something in this book that “spoke to me”.  I started reading it this afternoon – with a glass of Merlot in one of my favorite glasses that is now easily accessible.

          He writes like a Ph.D. – above me a bit – actually more than a bit.  But, in Chapter I at his paragraph I.7 he states:

“If we view time as amorphous and homogeneous, we simply swim our way through days and weeks; we barely exist in time, for our wayfaring awareness is lost in its huge scale.  But if we roof and wall time into chambers of expectation, plan and commitment, our days become memorable.  Time takes on significance when we frame it on a human scale.”

          I understood that little nugget.   In my title company job I ran my life by an appointment calendar and a “to-do” list.

          I guess I need to schedule my “down time” the same way; set goals, make to-do lists, block out time for projects, and check them off as I complete them.  Then I can stand back and be amazed at what I have accomplished.  YES, I will start that tomorrow.  I’ll have another glass of wine and see what else I can learn.

If not, I might get the surprise of my life after 60 or 90 days that I’ve allowed my time to slip through my fingers like fine sand.