Countdown

I am headed to the shop tonight and I am all sorts of excited.  Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with family, friends, and my kids, but time in the shop … wow.  My bet is we all feel like that. 

Did you ever stop to think what you would do differently if your life were a countdown, though?  Would you live differently or would your life still look as it does today?

This idea has been imagined before.  There is a movie called “In Time.” The premise is that you pay for everything with time and you are paid in time.  And then, there is the song, “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw.  But really, what would you do? 

When I build furniture, like my daughter’s bookcase, or the Settle I finished for Sara not long ago, I think about the fact that I am building items which will be around after I am gone.  And then I think about the bedroom set my dad built in high school which my sister has in her home. My father-in-law built a corner cabinet which is now proudly displayed in our home.  I think about the cutting boards I have been asked to make as door prizes for a winter fundraiser.  I may never know where they have gone and it almost feels like I’m sending a message off in a bottle. There are many things like this which have visible effects long after we no longer think about them.  Our words and actions can have the same effect on others.

I remember a woman named Marcia, who worked in the paint department at a store I managed.  She asked me a question in passing one day and I had responded curtly, not even thinking, just passing by.  Several minutes later, someone found me and said Marcia was on the sales floor in tears.  When I got to her, she told me that what I had said to her had hit so hard she couldn’t stop crying.  Honestly, at that point, I didn’t remember what I had said; Marcia had to tell me what those words had been.  But you can believe I still remember them today.

Our lives are often so transitory that we affect others and don’t pay enough attention to recognize what the effect was. Too much of my life feels this way. 

If I were living on a clock, with a visible countdown of the time I had left, I think that is the biggest difference I would make.  I would ensure that every time that I spoke with someone, the conversation would be clear, no matter how long it took.  But, guess what, I can do that right now, I just need to focus.  The people I would work the toughest on this for would be family and friends.  They’ve put up with the worst of me and it seems only be fair for them to enjoy the best I can offer.

Now, I will still go to the shop. That time is precious is precious to me, but I can ask more questions and take more time.  As the Holiday season approaches this is a good time to consider the importance of paying attention and taking time to communicate well.  We can all work to take better care of each other.

And then, maybe just for kicks I will go and ride a bull name Fu Manchu. 

Who knows?