An old but still workable giant sundial Yours Sincerely ( Y S ) saw in China. Imagine how many of our clock towers (The one near the junction of Jalan Putera, Alor Setar and even the one in Sungai Petani town stopped working for ages.)
This is the famous clock tower Y S visited at the main town square in Prague, Poland. Crowds gather to see the images and hear the chimes at 12 noon. A few hundred years old and is still ticking to the last second!!!
Y S observes that many 4-lettered words are intriguing and one of them is " time." It can be spent. It can be stolen. It can be made. It can even be killed. Some have too many on hand. Some never seem to have enough. Some are on time. Some are in time. Others are behind time. Yet we are controlled by time and we are dictated by the clock day in and day out. There is time to sleep; to wake up; to eat; to clock in and work; to fetch your children here and there; to do this and that; to rest etc. And it goes on in a vicious circle. Everyone is caught up in the web of time.
Do not think that retirees have all the time on earth. Well, if they do, they still have only 24 hours ! So , many think that retirees have too much time that they have to volunteer for this and that services, especially in church. " Oh, you're retired so you have time. Why don't you do it? "
Do you do something because you have the time or you do it because you believe in it? Y S subscribes to the latter. Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.
People who make the worst use of their time are the same ones who complain that there is never enough time and seem to envy those who seemingly have more. And the one thing you can't recycle is wasted time.
Make every second tick. Celebrate life. Live to the fullest.
6 comments:
Hi Thomas:)
Very interesting, informative and educative post.
It is said that time and tide waits for no body. No one escape time.
I am retired but I have a small business of my own which keeps me busy for at least 10 to 15 days in a month. I enjoy free time for the remaining days of the month with rest and relaxation and I don't want to rush around like the time I was working in an organisation. I am not answerable to any one and I have done my duty. I enjoy this new found freedom. I read books, visit second hand book stalls and libraries, go to beaches and laze around. I love this life of ease at present. For the last one month FIFA foot ball matches kept me very engaged.
Not that I don't value time. Even now on days when I have work, I am there at the work spot at least 15 minutes in advance. In fact, I was a stickler for time in my working days and always in a hurry. But now I have a different role to play and I have all the time in the world.
I enjoyed reading your wonderful post. The sun dial captured my imagination and I think it will never stop working or showing wrong time.
Best wishes Thomas:
Joseph
Thanks Joe, we seem to have the same thought. When I was working, I was never late for 32 years. By God's grace, was on medical leave for only 6 days in 32 YEARS. I think you are valuing time. Me, too. I make every second count. The Good Book says that life is 3 scores and 10, and the rest is bonus. And how many did not have the chance to spend the bonus ! Let's celebrate life.
Hi Thomas,
Last week, I was asked online by a young person in his 30's, educated, married, obviously a workaholic, and after knowing that I was at my age and retired -- '..but what do you do with your time?'
I've been asked that several times out of curiosity, genuine interest,in good humor, and a few unintended derision thinking that am wasting so much valuable time with age. So to this young chap I replied with a :-)-- 'I don't spend time the way you spend yours.'
And that is true. Now I am more me and not what others want me to be with the different roles I had to play through life. Nope am not complaining, it's all good and very blessed. Thank God.
But you are right, Thomas, I can go crazy anytime I want, do out-of-this-world stuff whenever it catches my fancy -- or write at odd hours of the day -- or play tug-of-war with my three dogs -- or gaze for long awesome moments at that magnificent tree standing tall lush and mighty right across the street -- or help pack gift bags for orphan kids... and am happy with all that because those are the things I love - things I believe in! :-)
Age is inevitable. What you do with it makes the difference.
Blessings to you and your family.
And thanks for writing the piece.
Ellen, I cannot agree more with you.I spent today on a 19-hole golf course and had the best strokes and putting of my life.
Thanks for sharing your blog and visiting my humble one. You have a thoughtful and reflective blog. Continue blogging.
It goes to say that old can be better than new.
footiam, as they say some mature and become vinegar ! Others mature and become wine !
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