Time Flies

by GW Lehtinen

Time flies. Only when you are aging, in my opinion, does reflection begin to show in life. It could be in your twenties, thirties, or older.

I was told that line, “Time flies,” for years as a youngster, but scoffed at people who mentioned that. It showed my youth, my uncaring attitude, but most of all, my total ignorance about life in general. I used to bump into guys in the gym periodically and saw them with sagging skin, salt-and-pepper hair and beards, or bald. I saw them pumping up, straining under the bar, sweating between sets. At the time, I wasn’t impressed; however, I noticed something interesting. They never, ever looked up, never talked, and never stopped until their goals were met in that combat with the rusty iron. The more I saw them, the more I became convinced that there was something I needed to understand and learn. Slowly, and I really mean slowly, they actually noticed my efforts as I was training. I matched their silent seriousness, their tough mentality, their laser-beam focus. They started to smirk, nod in approval, and talk in one- to two-word sentences. I learned some were ex-athletes, some were wealthy businessmen, some were powerful in some position. They were the ones that opened up to a young buck like me and gave sound advice. “Life is short, youth fades faster than you know, hard work always wins, or TIME FLIES.”

That last line was the line that didn’t compute to me, and I blew it off like a fly at a picnic. A few years passed by, then a few more. Nothing was difficult, nothing mattered. I was like a current-day Viking, raising Cain, and having a blast (without the pillaging!).

I went against the grain; I went against mature advice and just didn’t care. Then… I looked at myself after a shower and noticed something. A few wrinkles, a few less hairs, and suddenly I realized something. I was, dare I say it… Getting old!!!

Yes, it happens to us all; yes, it stinks. I never thought of it until it started to become a reality. I saw my cherished youth, my rapid recovery, my strength, my hairline beginning to fade, FAST.

Time flies.

No, time doesn’t “fly.”

It’s a space shuttle launch!

Gone. Done. Over. Finished.

Some age “gracefully,” some age so fast they look like Yoda. Some were physical specimens, then became a geriatric overnight. Suddenly, you walk to the fridge at two a.m. and suddenly you feel a sharp pain in the place you’d least expect it. “My spleen!” Or “my ear!” I know, I’m making a joke out of it; however, older people know this better than the younger generation. They’ll get there soon enough! Reflection is a natural thought process of aging, of elderly people.

I reflect on not just my own youthful years, but everyone I knew.

I reflect on mistakes, hardships, and failures.

I also reflect on wins, successes, and the joys of life, especially when I was young.

A vast majority of the older generations seemed to accept or take the “L” with an unusual degree of grace. They seemed to make peace with their decisions, good and bad, possibly because there is nothing they can do about it now.

That’s something to pay attention to.

That’s something to absorb.

That’s something to let sink in.

Move on, move forward… JUST KEEP MOVING!

Churchill said, “If you find yourself in hell… KEEP GOING.”

A Viking saying is, “Sleep in a hole if you wish, FEAR PROFITS YOU… NOTHING.”

I think we’re supposed to suffer, to feel anguish and pain. We’re supposed to feel hardship and hard work, victory and utter failure. These are par for the course; we shouldn’t be sheltered. We must grow strong and grow up. We’ll make decisions that might be unpopular or even confusing to people.

As “Time flies.”