An issue of time

I have noticed that I have become so concerned with time lately. I remember there was a character in "The Pajama Game" which was known as the time-study man or at least that is how I remember it. I have been guilt of such habits as this person in the past such as mixing all of the food together just to get it eaten more quickly. That was the case last week when I took peas and mashed potatoes to school topped with barbecue sauce. It just got all mixed together and went down the hatch. I run and run from place to place only to consider what would be the best use of my time on the next leg of my trip.

In our occasional drive up to Atlanta from our home in Florida, we have the options of going a variety of routes. The interstate seems to be the fastest when there isn't traffic or heavy construction. There is a rural route that we like to take when we think the boys can make it all the way without complaining about needing to use the bathroom. This last time, we took a route that took us farther up the rural side than normal. Were we in a rush, of course. 3 kids in a minivan is like a bowl of chili in the microwave. You know that it could explode any minute. Typically every second is precious to us in this drive. But by staying on the rural route, we were able to drive down some roads and see some more of the wonderful, peaceful and serene central Georgia countryside. It did take a little longer we figure, but no longer than the time I stood in line at the Burger King waiting for the food.

I find myself constantly looking at my watch or phone to know what time it is. If there is a microwave in a room that doesn't show the time, I almost always immediately set it. I always seem to check the time just when there is 15 minutes left in my class whether it be a 50 minute class or 75 minute class. When I read a book, I look ahead to see how many more pages I have before I can finish the chapter to estimate how much time I will have to read. I never seem to be able to get lost in the book like I hear of others doing.

When I was a kid and got in trouble, I would be sent to my room until my mom remembered I was up there and still being punished. Normally this lasted 10 minutes or so. Punishment was all in how you looked at it. I had my toys in my room. I think the greatest time addiction for me growing up was my Legos. I do not believe I am alone in this addiction. In fact, if we had more room in our home, I would probably get them out of the attic and start to play with them again. I would be in my room for hours building the creation that I had seen in my mind. Untold numbers of space vehicles came out of my box of Legos. I could build fleets of ships each manned by one or two figurines. Moon rovers scoured the native American Indian carpet on my floor. I would search through thousands of Lego pieces just to find that one by two black skinny piece to complete the project. Masterpieces would be harvested to create something new. Hours of entertainment was only limited by my mind and abilities. I did have and still have an issue with symmetry though. I was adamant that shape and when possible color maintained some symmetry, though antennas were the exception. Punishments would sometimes merely redirect my efforts into creating something better. I would loose track of time.

So, now I keep a look at my watch to make sure everything is running on time. I cannot let myself get utterly lost in the project without making an accounting for my time later. Sometimes I wish I could go back to playing with my Legos. But then again, I can with those 3 chili bowls I love so much that keep us going at this pace. I can show them the joys of loosing themselves in creating.