When I was a child, time seemed to take forever. If you didn’t get what your heart desired from Santa Claus, the time to wait for that next chance seemed endless.
When I was a student, the entire semester seemed long enough to get my term papers done. And later, awaiting the birth of my sons, time seemed normal (although I might have wished it would pass more quickly!). Time back then did not seem to shrink as it does now.
Even when I used to travel, the time we were away from home seemed long. I was ready to get on the plane to come home before the packing and pickup schedule was announced.
Now that I am old, something has happened to change the speed at which things arrive. Weeks and months fly by! My family asks me what I am scheduling for next week. I say I have nothing planned, but by Monday morning my calendar is full, of things I actually want to do.
But nothing takes wings as speedily as the charity requests and the catalog invasion in my mail. Many of those catalogs I have never ordered from before, but no sooner do I throw away one do I receive another copy (with reduced prices!). Of course, I have no need for the items featured in the catalogs.
In early October, the charities to which I always give suggest that I might like to change my will, so that they will receive a gift when I die and that a pre-death gift of unsold stock will not only benefit the charity but will also provide me with a yearly income and save me from tax on the unrecognized profit. Since I am past revamping my arrangements for my old age income, these too go into the round file. I’ve tried clarifying by letter reasons for my decisions, but nobody reads them, so I go on with my usual yearend charities.
I really don’t understand merchandising. Why must we begin besieging would-be customers for Christmas gifts, decorations and the like before Halloween or even before Labor Day? That barrage makes us older folks feel that our years are speeding away and we have forgotten essentials – or perhaps that’s the purpose?
Well, whatever! I shall go on making lists as I always have done, and tossing away catalogs and those fat sections of ads in the newspaper. I refuse to be pushed until the Thanksgiving turkey is history. My doctors say I’ll live to be 100 and my RMD (that’s “required minimum distribution” for those who let CPAs bother with that) says I’ll have 8.7 more years of IRA, so I’m treating time the same way. Christmas is Dec. 25, New Year comes in on Jan. 1, 2016. The only things I have to meet are my deadlines for the Chevy Chaser – and they do come earlier as the year winds down!
Remember, there is a price for every choice. What will your choice be? cc