How Time Flies

It feels like the new year started just yesterday, yet already two months have passed. This is not a new discovery or some profound epiphany that I’ve had. This is an age-old complaint that time flies and waits for no man. However, as we change, the meaning of this hits us differently each time.

When I was young, the adage symbolised that good times don’t last for long. Whether it was holidays, vacations, fun time with friends, etc., they always flew by quickly before it was back to the daily grind of education. We waited for summer holidays for a whole year, but they left us even before we could build proper memories.

When I joined the workforce, my manager used to call it the honeymoon period. The enthusiasm of suddenly gaining financial freedom, the new experiences and responsibilities, and the new avenues that opened up were all exciting to me. I was filled with fresh hope for the future. He would always say that this was the honeymoon period and everything was wonderful at this time, but real life will hit you sooner rather than later. He was right; it did hit us soon enough.

In recent years, I have started to see passing time in a different light. I see the passage of time in the people and things around me. At one time, when I was the youngest one in the room, I have now joined the ranks of elders. Appliances, furniture, and gadgets that have the latest technology or design are now outdated, old-style (polite way of calling them antiques), and meaningless. I still remember being amazed when we got our first diskman, the iPod, etc.

Today, fun times, vacations, holidays, etc., don’t have the same meaning. We just shift from one set of responsibilities to another during those days. The focus has completely shifted from myself to the people around me. Suddenly, I feel a need to have meaningful conversations rather than a fun party. I started looking for comfort and convenience in all my purchases rather than style or uniqueness.

When I discussed this realisation with my mom, she just laughed it off, saying that I had finally grown up. She said she was happy to see some maturity dawning on me, at least at this late stage. I was disappointed that my ‘profound enlightenment’ was brushed off so lightly, but obviously, her wisdom is greater than my experience.