It's fleeting. It waits for no man. It can be on your side, or is always against you. It can be spent, and it can definitely be wasted. They say you can save it, too, but that's up for debate.
Of course, I speak of time. This intangible unit of measurement is the base of everything we know. It rules over humanity, regardless if you work 40 hours a week for a living, anticipate the weekend fishing trip, or are counting down the days to hunting opener.
This weekend while fishing with the family -- the first time this summer and the first time we've all done so in the boat, period -- I had a few brief moments between the chaos to reflect on it. I'm 34 years old, and my time has never felt so limited. Our weekdays are a blur that begin at 4:30 am and end when the wife and I finally call it quits around 10 pm. In between is a race for breakfast, daycare drop off, work, pick up kids, home, supper, and family time. And no part of this is more precious to me than the smallest parts -- the beginning and end hours of the day when I actually interact with my wife and kids.
I am unfortunately lumped into a much-maligned bunch known as "Millennial." While I do not associate with them, one of the oft-discussed negative aspects is that they don't like to work and always want time off. I have nothing against working hard to make a better life for my family and kids. What I do hate to see is a life perpetually (at least perceptually) filled with work and aching for more time with the people you care about. From my brief time on this orb we call home, most people don't often get to experience that until they retire and kids are grown. And then there's the constant regret that "man I wish we could have spent more time together when you were younger."
Why do we do that to ourselves? My wife and I both work full time. Our weeks feel like full-throttle days followed by sudden stops. Weekends end far too soon. And my kids, both under the age of 5, are growing so fast I can't believe it.
So, for the elders out there with a bit more "time" under their belt than I have: How do you do it? How do you fit everything in? I'm so serious about our weekends that I've been spending evenings after the kids go down to clean/organize and tackle honey-do stuff JUST so I don't have to be bothered with it on the weekends. It makes for long, tiring days, but then my weekends are blissfully free, for the most part.
The last part is that I finally have a career I enjoy, but with a recent promotion I'm putting in 50-60 hour weeks, every week. Taking time off isn't difficult, but every time I do it actually adds more to my plate. I'm at the point now where I'll work from home even on days off just to stay caught up! I HATE that. But the financial benefits are huge, so I'm compelled to keep grinding.
Basically, I don't want to get to 65 and retire, and then regret working so hard for the past 30 years and missing those moments.
And maybe ALL of this is way, WAY too philosophical for an outdoors forum... :;:smokin
Of course, I speak of time. This intangible unit of measurement is the base of everything we know. It rules over humanity, regardless if you work 40 hours a week for a living, anticipate the weekend fishing trip, or are counting down the days to hunting opener.
This weekend while fishing with the family -- the first time this summer and the first time we've all done so in the boat, period -- I had a few brief moments between the chaos to reflect on it. I'm 34 years old, and my time has never felt so limited. Our weekdays are a blur that begin at 4:30 am and end when the wife and I finally call it quits around 10 pm. In between is a race for breakfast, daycare drop off, work, pick up kids, home, supper, and family time. And no part of this is more precious to me than the smallest parts -- the beginning and end hours of the day when I actually interact with my wife and kids.
I am unfortunately lumped into a much-maligned bunch known as "Millennial." While I do not associate with them, one of the oft-discussed negative aspects is that they don't like to work and always want time off. I have nothing against working hard to make a better life for my family and kids. What I do hate to see is a life perpetually (at least perceptually) filled with work and aching for more time with the people you care about. From my brief time on this orb we call home, most people don't often get to experience that until they retire and kids are grown. And then there's the constant regret that "man I wish we could have spent more time together when you were younger."
Why do we do that to ourselves? My wife and I both work full time. Our weeks feel like full-throttle days followed by sudden stops. Weekends end far too soon. And my kids, both under the age of 5, are growing so fast I can't believe it.
So, for the elders out there with a bit more "time" under their belt than I have: How do you do it? How do you fit everything in? I'm so serious about our weekends that I've been spending evenings after the kids go down to clean/organize and tackle honey-do stuff JUST so I don't have to be bothered with it on the weekends. It makes for long, tiring days, but then my weekends are blissfully free, for the most part.
The last part is that I finally have a career I enjoy, but with a recent promotion I'm putting in 50-60 hour weeks, every week. Taking time off isn't difficult, but every time I do it actually adds more to my plate. I'm at the point now where I'll work from home even on days off just to stay caught up! I HATE that. But the financial benefits are huge, so I'm compelled to keep grinding.
Basically, I don't want to get to 65 and retire, and then regret working so hard for the past 30 years and missing those moments.
And maybe ALL of this is way, WAY too philosophical for an outdoors forum... :;:smokin