Passing the time

Snowdrops spied in the debris

 Walking back home today after my bus ride to and from the coffee shop, I saw these little guys hiding on the forest floor. More sure signs that spring is definitely on its way. They weren't there last week, and I'll keep an eye on them as they continue to develop and blossom. 

I met John at the coffee shop, but he had to leave early to drive all the way to Seattle for a routine checkup of his shoulder surgery. His right shoulder isn't healing nearly as fast or as easily as the left one did last year, but it is slowly coming along. Normally, he would drive me to my favorite trailhead and I'd walk the three miles back home. At first I waffled about whether I'd do the entire distance, but it got so nice outside, with the clouds clearing and plenty of sunshine to brighten my mood that I decided to do the whole bit. And as soon as I hit the trail, I saw these pretty snowdrops emerging to improve my mood even more. 

I wrote a blog post yesterday on my other blog (Eye on the Edge) and, although I spent a good deal of time writing it, I never did quite get around to what's on my mind about the passage of time. So, I'll give it another shot here. First of all, I am a fan of routine, trying hard to get much of my daily life smoothed into a nice gentle pattern. I'm not sure if I've always been this way, but certainly in my senior years, it always makes me feel better when I have a rough outline of the day ahead. Since it's Monday, it's time to write this post, and once I've done that and posted it, I can go through the rest of my day feeling like I've accomplished something.

Ever since the pandemic, my usual daily routine has been drastically altered. No more five-day-a-week classes at the Y, and after the omicron variant emerged, I stopped going there altogether. I do two or three Zoom yoga classes a week, from home, and I do get an acupuncture treatment every few weeks in his office, but that's about it. I do grocery shopping, usually during senior hours, but sometimes during regular hours, and I usually regret it if it's crowded. Everyone in our local community food co-op is masked, but that just isn't true at Costco. I went there yesterday, on a Sunday afternoon, and I ran into about a half-dozen people not wearing masks there. Our Costco offers senior hours twice a week, 9:00-10:00, and I will definitely keep my visits to those hours in the future.

About that time thing: I have come to realize that one of the reasons I like routine so much is that it shields me from the awareness of how quickly and relentlessly things change. In fact, change is a constant I cannot control. Even if this Monday looks a lot like last week's, somehow I now need a haircut and every day my Apple Watch exercise rings need to be filled up again. The routine doesn't actually keep time from passing, I just don't notice it as much.

Truly, I do enjoy seeing the flowers spring up from the ground as time passes, and the progression of the seasons usually brings me joy. But since I am stuck in time with no way out (except one I am not looking forward to), it makes sense to me to find ways to appreciate every moment for its own distinction and not try to "pass the time" without acknowledging it. 

:-)