They say ~and no, I don’t know who they are~ that as you get older, time passes more quickly. I don’t think there’s a scientific journal in a forgotten archive somewhere that shows our individual timelines are fluctuating and have the ability to speed up or slow down.

This theory then is one of perception. Time seems to speed up as we age. Applying this, do we discover that at 14 life is appearing to move slower than life at 40? Can any of us remember how the passage of time felt? Did it feel like ages before we reached summer break? Did it feel like ages before we could drive, were officially an adult, went off to college or could legally drink?

I wonder if it was those measured levels of accomplishment that had the effect of slowing us down. What happens when there are no more milestones? Over 40, married, homeowner, career, this makes for a pretty structured daily life that just rolls out inevitably, day after similar day. Is this what has the effect of making us feel like one day passes into the next with speedy regularity?

I admit that it feels this way to me with an eerie frequency. The last thing I want is to experience my life as a headlong rush to the grave so I am investigating my days in an attempt to eradicate this perception. I am turning my thoughts outward in search of elements and activities that can capture my attention and hold it, seeking moments of insight and beauty that bring me fulfillment. I am also turning my attention inward to discover my true desires so that I may act on them.

Whether my days pass quickly or slowly I want them to be filled with enjoyment and satisfaction. I want to crawl into bed each night with a fond recollection of that days events and with excitement for the tomorrows to come.

Joemma Beach Pier