SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME

Willy Wonka:
So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it .

There is a Yiddish expression that means “being hopelessly lost and unsure where to turn next.” The colorful expression is Fablunget. Like Willy Wonka himself, getting such phrases backwards is a prime example of this state of mind.

How many times have you felt this way yourself, regardless of your familiarity with Yiddish idioms? How often have you been going at such a pace your mind is racing faster than your body’s capacity to keep up? How many instances can you count where you were juggling far too many things to keep track of efficiently?

These would be standard examples. But as I get older, I think of being fablunget in a different way. The notion that time is quickening and lessening. The opportunity to do more things that personally appeal rather than are required and being aware I won’t be able to do them all.

Quite some time ago (in my youthful 30’s!), I came to the realization that I would never be able to read all the books, listen to all the music, and watch all the movies I desired to. What has changed in nearly thirty years? You live your life, work, build up experiences and knowledge, and, hopefully, work your way toward retirement, a place where you can focus more on yourself and less on the responsibilities of a corporate mechanism.

Ah, there’s the rub. The impending sense of the diminishment of time. So much to do, so little time. The error to be made is to haphazardly rush through things, try to squeeze in as much as possible with whatever time (how much or how little depending on your health and perspective) you have left. For me to do that would be to undermine the stark realization I had thirty years prior.

There is no need to rush through to the end. It will get here soon enough. The opportunity is not about time but the freedom to enjoy it more. Will I be able to write MORE books? Or will I want to? Perhaps attending more writer’s conferences and workshops will be fulfilling. Trying out new recipes. Spending more time walking around and taking in my surroundings, appreciating them as much as a wool blanket in winter.

Granted, there is an irony to the notion of slowing down when there is less time. But truly appreciating your very being is something so few of us do, whether we have the chance or not. I’m going to take it.