Clocks





Did anyone else read Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s The Grand Escape as a kid?

I loved it!

It’s about two cats, Marco and Polo, who escape from their sheltered home life and into the rainy streets, where they have to prove themselves to join a club of alley cats and find their way home. One of the riddles they’re given along the way has always struck me with a grain of hard truth.

The question is: What runs humans?

The answer: Clocks.

Boy, is that ever true! Lately, I feel like I need 30 hour days just to keep up with what I need to do, much less what I want to do. Sometimes, I think we run a little too much by our clocks (I know I do), and while we can never fully be rid of that instinct, it’s wise to take a breather every now and then.

We can’t make more time, so we’ve got to allow ourselves to slow down and take it whenever we can.

12 comments:

  1. I love your last line here, and I'm definitely one that needs to slow down a bit and take more time for myself. Too much rushing just tires me out and I spend too much time recovering instead of enjoying life.

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  2. That last line is spot on. Sometimes we all need to take a step back and have a breather.

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  3. So true about time. I could use a 30 hour day everyday.

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  4. I could use that thirty hour day today...

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  5. Slowing down, oddly enough, ends up giving us more time. It does make sense in the experiencing.

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  6. I could use a couple of 30 hour days a week!

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  7. Oh boy, is that ever true... time running our lives. Would be fun to see that from an animal's perspective!

    And I read your SkyNet post too and that made me grin. I think as long as Amazon and Google are competing, that's a good thing. It's when there's only one monster corporation left that we need to worry :)

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  8. If I take the battery out of my wall clock, can I stop time and rest for awhile? I definetely need more time, but my problem with 30-hour days is I'm already tired from 24-hour days. With 30 hours, I'll be exhausted and probably not much more productive. Instead of 30-hours days, I propose having 30 hour work weeks instead (without a reduce in pay). I don't think my employer will agree. Haha.

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  9. Love that riddle! And I haven't heard of that book before. Sounds like a cute story.

    And I wish there was more time in the day. Of course, then I'd probably just fill it with inane things like watching TV or sleep, so it wouldn't do me any good.

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  10. Heather - I wrote the last line as a reminder for myself too!

    Miss Cole - Yes, indeedy.

    Natalie - Me too. Though others are right too...then I'd just be exhausted and hoping for 35-hour days. Haha!

    Alex - I bet you could! Thanks for all you do with ISWG.

    Lynda - You're absolutely right. It seems counter-intuitive, but it does feel like a slow down creates more time.

    Christine - Let's start a petition to the time patrol!

    Margo - It was a really fun read, and even as a kid, I remember thinking that was a brilliant riddle because it revealed so much. Glad Skynet could make you grin. I agree - the competition is good!

    Michael - Love the battery idea! And the 30-hour work week idea! Not sure we have much hope in making those reality though. Haha!

    Cherie - It's a fun, heartwarming book! And an extra six hours of sleep sounds pretty good to me. ;)

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  11. I stopped wearing a watch several years ago and thought I was free... my wrist felt lighter, as did my step... until I missed the first bus :)

    Then I used the oven clock and the DVD clock to keep me on track... until I got a new cell phone with the time on the outside.... now my "watch" is once again close to my wrist, only this time it's clipped to my waist :)

    Happy Weekend and thanks for all your (always) positive words :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Mark! You're brave - I'd be completely lost without my watch. :)

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