Where Did All The Time Go

Where did all the time go? One moment you are playing outside with the kids next door, and in the next you are planning for the immediate future.

Where did all the time go? You are just enjoying a game of hide and seek now you are trying to hide the grey hairs you have on your head.

Where did all the time go? You are just learning how to tie a shoelace and now there are all the lines upon your face.

And where did all the time go? You look in the mirror and can’t recognize the kid you are once before.

It’s funny that we I was a kid I could not wait to grow up, I could not wait to do the things the grown ups do. I would like to hurry up and grow to have money of my own. I would like to grow old fast enough so I can drink the potions the adults enjoy. I wanted to grow up so bad and to not have to go to school anymore. But now that I really am not a kid anymore, I wish that I could turn back the clock, flick that boy on the head so hard and tell him that he should savor and cherish every single moment he can because growing old is not all fun and games, not at all.

The money that you wanted to have back then, is now nothing but a sign of responsibility, it’s just a material needed to sustain your daily life, it really is a problem to have and it’s a much larger problem to lack. The magic potions you wanted to try badly are now poison to your aging body. And the school that you hated so bad? Oh boy, it does not get any easier than that.

As a boy, there are no bills to pay, the only problems I had before were all related to playing. But when you grow old you play games to avoid the stress that real world problems could cause you. As a boy, I was fortunate enough to not worry about what clothes to wear. Everything was picked out and bought for me by my father. As a grown up, you think twice about every purchase you make as you now know the value of money.

When did it start? When did the world and time turned upside down? When you were young, every year passes with you counting your birthdays upward. Now that you are far from your teenage years it seems that every year that is passing takes away from a countdown to an eventual end. When did that start? Back then every birthday is a party, a celebration with laughter and cheers. But now, every gathering seems to have a dark looming premonition. You look around the people around you, and you wonder how many more years do you have left to celebrate with all these people? How many more happy birthday songs will you sing together? You just can’t help but think that every year may be the last year you can all be complete. Because as you grow older you will eventually realize that it’s not just about you anymore. You are not growing old alone. The journey you are taking has already been taken by people you love decades before you. And suddenly it hits you. The time that you wanted to pass by fast before, you now want to at least slow it down.

That little boy who likes to run around, inside and outside the house, that boy has a father. That innocent little child who climbs trees to pick random fruits for snack, he has a mother. That young boy who rushes to the television right after school, that stupid boy has grandparents. And now that boy has aged well into his life, that strong energetic father, that caring mother and those doting grandparents have also aged further than before. That carefree young little boy now realized, if he aged this old so as his loved ones.

As I wipe the tears away from my eyes I tell you, time is irreversible, there is no turning back. Once the clock ticks, that moment is forever gone. So with all the remaining grains of the sand on your hourglass, you better make sure that every drop of life counts. Make every second matter. Make every moment worthwhile. Because you never know when will a moment be just a memory you can’t take back.

This may bum you out or sadden you a little but please bear in mind that it is not my intention. This is just a friendly reminder that with the fast paced world we are living in today, it’s important to take a step back, press that pause button for a bit and enjoy life with people who matter to you the most.

Thank you for reading. And as always, raise your glass and...Cheers!

Photo by Mario Diaz from Pexels