I realized something recently. I suppose I should have before but it dawned on me now and so I won't blame myself for not 'getting' it earlier. I don't like to go to town. I don't go more often than I must and it's not that the stores are bad. It's the drive. And the drive isn't so bad. It's the repetition and the time it takes.
For me time is going by too fast. Days speed by. Hours are minutes. Is this part of old age? I considered the possibility that it's an earth conspiracy. Maybe the earth is really spinning faster except the clocks can't be in on it. No, it's my perception, but it makes the drive to town something that I resent for the time it can take out of my day.
What do I do with it on the farm that is so important? Well besides the obvious housework, gardening and cooking, there is looking for the dragonflies to photograph. Or watching the sheep to be sure all is well. Sometimes working on photographs, painting, or writing. Walking out to get the mail.
Not too impressive you say? Well... I sometimes try to work out what life is all about, what happens after death; but spending time contemplating such mysteries doesn't appear to be solving them for me-- so far anyway. It still might though. You just never know.
It's not like the regular drive to town is all that long-- 40 minutes each way, but it seems by the time I do it both ways, and then whatever tasks there, it takes half my day. We do have three possible roads to take but basically it's repeating the same thing more or less every time it is necessary to go.
At home I probably fritter away a lot of time. I am very fast at housework, cooking etc. and that's partly to leave time for those other things, the undefined things, the ones where I won't realize they are important until the very moment they appear. In short, I work to leave myself as much unstructured time as possible.
One particular unstructured time went to --
(coming in next blog)
5 comments:
Well, with that camera and 100lb lense slung 'round your neck, you give the appearance of a female photographer on a mission!
I envy you living on a farm since I assume there must always be an abundance of photograph material.
Given all the writing you do, I have not a clue as to how you are able to keep up with all the rest of your responsibilites....not a clue.
Time stops for no man, or woman, so we should make the most of what we have which is this very moment. Nice post Rain !
Rain, why do I think you fritter away very little of your time? I get the impression you fill your days to the brim....either with farm and house chores, photography, your wonderful writing, your art, visiting your blogging friends, or just mulling around in your head what you will come up with next. I too wonder how you find the time for it all. I think you are very wise in how you use your time my friend. I would imagine whatever time you do use to just relax...you use that wisely and to its fullest. ~Joy xo
Your lens is much larger than mine and now I have lens envy.
I would hate that 40 minute drive, too, although I've had jobs where my commute was much longer than that each way. City people get used to that.
Your trip to Powells had to be great. It sure has been for me each time I've gone.
Yeah, I like that unstructured time -- that's when really interesting things happen.
Can I.D. with not wanting to spend time driving to town. I've felt that way about the location of any work I accept and have avoided all my life any position that would result in my having to drive any long distance daily all the time.
Am amazed at all those people clogging the freeways here mornings and nights going to and from work -- spending an hour or more, then if there's an accident, even longer. I've been caught up in it on occasion. Recently had to spend the day in Pasadena -- 20 mins. to get there before work traffic. Over an hour to get home at the end of the day with all the workers. Did it on two occasions -- one time on the freeway the next time on side route, including parts of Historic Route 66 -- still over an hour.
On the other hand, many things of interest are an hours drive or so away, but that's not my regular drive, so I think of it as an ever-changing adventure.
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