Time

I am late. With this blog. Seems I am always running late these days. With everything. Real life has gotten very hectic, it would seem. And I thought I had it under control. Guess not.

Time. It slows, quickens, stalls out completely, runs out completely. Strange thing, that. When you're waiting for a much anticipated event, time seems to be at a standstill. It drags. It refuses to come, despite much coaxing. But when you're needing it to stay put, does it? Oh, no. Then it comes swooshing in, all feisty and demanding and full of itself. It cannot be pushed back, and simply either runs you over or swallows you whole.

That's where I am right now - being swallowed.

I am in between two craft fairs - desperately finishing up pieces - pricing, bagging, counting and gathering materials. Each show I change my focus just a little, to capture more of the audience. This time, I'm showcasing my picture books. Only they are not in print - they are electronic. The illustrations are gorgeous, but I need to show them. So, I made up samples - binders, with the pages all printed out and slipped into plastic sleeves. Customers can read the book and then purchase the CD. Hopefully. Printing out the books, putting them on CD, labeling, jacketing, etc, all takes some of that precious time.

I am also caring for my son's puppy. Only three days a week, but I have to be vigilant. The puppy is learning about the proper place to go potty - and it's not on my floor, although he seems to think that is ten times better than schlepping through the wet grass and driving rain that Mother Nature is tossing this way so that he can attend to mother nature in his own way. More time sucked up.

And, of course, there is the usual to be taken care of - cleaning, laundry, shopping - which is getting into full swing with Christmas approaching so quickly. Again, time is swooshing instead of stalling here. It seems that we were just getting done with Halloween and here it is almost time for St Nick.

The stores seem to be rushing everything these days,too. On one side of the aisle you see Thanksgiving, on the other side Christmas, with a few shelves reserved for leftover Halloween decorations. It's like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas have all blurred into one long holiday. Time is getting all balled up in itself here, tumbling over and over like a dung beetles prize.

I remember when I was a kid, Christmas exploded on the scene the day after Thanksgiving, not before. Downtown would be transformed overnight into a winter wonderland, with the swags and lights and decorations. It was almost magical. Those workers must have been up all night to accomplish such a feat. Now? It's not surprising to see Christmas decorations lining the shelves BEFORE Halloween. For some reason, this destroys the whole magic of the season for me. Time has gone into overdrive, almost hyperspace, where I am seeing three realities at once.

Ah, time, you are a wicked one. When we are young, we can't wait to grow older, to get things accomplished, to gather material goods, to get "our place" in society. And, once we get to that coveted age that we so longed for, we look back and wish that maybe we could have projected forward a little better and let time do it's thing the way it's supposed to. Let it amble, instead of rush. Let it be without brakes or accelerator. Let time be timeless.

JennaKay Francis
www.jennakayfrancis.com
www.readerseden.com