Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock: Who's afraid of the big bad clock?

Life creeps by-- in moments, hours, days, years. It just passes, trucking along at the same speed, completely independent and aloof to everything around it. We say we lose it, gain it, adjust it, but untamed, uncontrolled, no one has ever been able to rein in time. So how do we react to it? At what points in our lives to we feel it's running out, or that we're moving just a bit faster to stay ahead of the game? When do we start to crumble, weighted down the gravity of its pressure?

Everywhere I look I'm surrounded by newlyweds, engaged couples, first time parents-- my friends, family, former colleagues- it seems like the never-ending parade of lovebirds and lovechildren. And I am truly, extremely thrilled and happy for them. That said, I'm no where near ready to jump on one of their floats or run to march alongside them, but with the shrinking number of singles in the stewing pot (and by singles I mean folks who aren't committed to each other for the "long haul", whether or not you're in a relationship), it still adds pressure. Now, I'm not one of those girls who runs around thinking she's going to just die if she doesn't get married before midnight on her thirtieth birthday, or in the very least thinks that she'll turn into a mangy cat when the clock strikes twelve. But, surrounded by all the happy couples, taking that next step in life together, you do check yourself-- your priorities, what you want and what you need. And here's the kicker, they don't all mesh. I don't have a five- or ten- year relationship plan, nor a set date for when I want to be married or have kids, but the fact is I DO want to be married and I DO want to have kids. I come from a big family, family is important to me, and I want one of my own. Doesn't mean I want to start now, or even in the next three to five years, but, at what point to you run out of time? At what point do you find yourself looking around, readying to move on, but realizing your opportunity has passed you by?

That's the trouble with the clock. It just keeps pace, whether you want it to or not, whether you're ready or not, and you can't remove the batteries from life. Tick-tock.

Content Copyright 2010. Ami Lovelace. All Rights Reserved.