I forgot to put on shorts…almost

I can remember when I thought of time as limitless. It was rare that a watch was on my arm, I never placed calendars on the wall nor did I track tomorrow with certainty. It was all spent being…being free, being on the water, being drunk, being high, being on the way to somewhere…being alive. The construct that is time was just a thing I never worried about.

Don’t get me wrong, I knew dates. I had to count first day of class, last day of class…weekends; then moved to payday – which was really more about could I beat the bills to the bank. But, as I forced myself into a more responsible adulthood (sucked by the way), I had to track my college graduation, daughter’s due date; which led a whole list of infinite and unmanageable schedules for band, softball, dances….and on and on.

Life in corporate America found me chained to a calendar, often triple or quadruple booked for meeting after meeting. Schedule start and completion dates, milestone dates…dates, dates, dates…..damn your late, oh no….dates.

Now, I know days of the week because of the pills I have to take to get more time. I count on my Joy to tell me what date we have something to do, or some place to be. I get texts for appointments, calls for the grandkid’s events and about everything else. I have missed some things with friends because I do not keep a tight calendar like I have for so many years (sorry!!), but I just was beaten down by worrying about time.

I realized that it is seconds long ago, but finally started trying to live like I know it. Days are too short and too precious to allow their passing without doing all I can to celebrate each and every one. I have been blessed with setbacks that allowed me to see that today, right now, is where I am and where I should focus my thoughts.

……..

These thoughts were brought to you by a box from Trane and an Adulting to-do list that sits on my desk. The box was a measurement of years passed; and the to-do list – which I do not have any plans to use even though it asks for a date, I refuse and will continue to do so.

So, I know this to-do list is not related to the original topic (except it wants a date…damn your late, oh no…dates), I wanted to share, because it has two of my (new) biggest fears listed in the checklist.

Showered – I have always worried that I would become that guy who goes days without taking a shower because…where I gotta be now? Do I really need to smell fresh to putter around the yard or fish? And would I not be helping to conserve water? Well, I hope Joy will let me know before I go too far.
Wore pants – as silly as this sounded before retirement, the day is coming where I find myself standing at the mailbox or pumping gas in my boxer briefs. It is just more comfortable to watch Netflix and surf the internet sitting in them; I have seen it play out in my mind that I get up (since I rarely wear shoes now), slip on my flip flops and cross that line. Please don’t call the cops. Just politely say “Hey dude, did you forget something?”

The rest of this thing:

Joy assigns me tasks when I listen
I explained appointments already
I suck at contacting people, always have
Errand I can’t ignore anymore…you are not trying hard enough if you cannot

And the checklist…
No shoes, no socks – problem solved
Got off the couch – gotta pee, gonna happen
Ate a vegetable – too old to start now
Didn’t set anything on fire…may have to think about this one more now that I typed that.
There is nothing wrong with cereal for dinner! Enough said.

Today…well, I am adulting like a guy who has learned how special it is to be able to do anything at all….and if I act twelve, so what.

Peace.