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COLORFUL TIME

surprising, smart decision is big deal

I recently read an op ed which suggested saying “I don’t have time” really means “I don’t care”. I don’t believe that completely & discussing its merits would fill the space for another essay altogether. However, the author’s idea got in my head a week ago today.

When I left my part-time job at the end of the day last Friday, I was looking forward to a late afternoon & early evening of writing a Route 66 Chapter (to be published that Sunday evening), do some prep work for Old Cars, Strong Hearts & then watch the season finale of CBS’ “Hawaii 5-O”. But, when I walked through the door, the 1st thing I was told was that my Sister, Bro-in-law, Nephew & Niece were going to join us for a pizza dinner … & they were already on their way. Ugh, was my immediate reaction. I was so looking forward to that “me” block of time to get things done, not spend time with other people.

Before you gasp (or after you’ve finished gasping), let me be clear: I love my family & my friends. But, when I have my mind set on completing tasks, it is rather tough to adjust. I may be single, but that doesn’t mean I can just drop everything at any time & re-schedule everything on a whim, despite how I loved spontaneity among scheduled visits during my road trips, 2002-2011. For me, with so many “want to do” projects on my list(s), getting psyched to get something done, after deciding what to tackle, is sometimes an undertaking in & of itself! Taking me out of that “zone” can be detrimental.

Anyway, I must’ve had an unpleasant look on my face because Mom quickly added I didn’t have to worry about entertaining the kids. OK, I can deal with this, finish some tasks & visit some, I thought. So, I set up & started to work. No sooner had I done that than they arrived. My Nephew seemingly made a beeline for me, holding a piece of paper in his hands. “Uncle Cort, will you please color this with me … using your colored pencils?” As I was about to say, “sorry”, that article I read flooded my mind. I stopped before any words came out of my mouth, closed my eyes, took a deep breath & (somewhat) relaxed. The last thing I ever want to do is to make Nephew (& Niece) feel like I’ve felt after people have told me they don’t have time for me…. “Absolutely!” I heard myself say immediately after I re-opened my eyes. Wait, what?

While I retrieved the colored pencils (which Niece had given me for Christmas), I was anything but relaxed, realizing my plan had just been thrown out the window. But, when I got back in the room where Nephew was waiting for me, I knew I’d made the right situational decision: his face was beaming. We sat down to color & this (now proudly & prominently placed on Dad & Mom’s refrigerator) is what developed from our collaboration:

By the way, you may remember the colored pencils & adult coloring book (which Nephew gave me for Christmas) from previous posts, including HERE [with original entry also linked]. We recently completed this 1959 Cadillac:

“1959 Cadillac 2-door Hardtop: The premier American luxury car, General Motors’ Cadillac topped the 1950s with its classic, memorable styling.  In the ’59 2-door hardtop, Cadillac introduced design elements that sum up Fifties American cars.  These include an enormous chrome egg-crate grille with quad headlights, & an immense bumper with quad turn signals.  But it is at the rear that the big Caddy displays its claim to fame: Those fantastic rising tail fins with rocket-shaped taillights are emblems of speed, power, & American technological superiority.  Some design professionals may consider the ’59 Caddy overdone, garish & extravagant (along with the rest of the Fifties auto styling), but those vehicles represent a true blending of art & technology during a dynamic decade in American culture.”

Back to last Friday: while I had a good time with my Nephew (&, of course, Niece), I missed the season finale of “Hawaii” because writing the Route 66 chapter couldn’t exactly wait too much longer. Oh, well. Always a chance CBS will re-run it sometime this summer or just before the season premiere this fall. Last Friday’s experience also sparked my mind to ponder another issue, perhaps best explored in a whole other piece: time management & balancing life. We’re always reading & hearing about how important it is to manage our time & balance work & life, but, in the end, doesn’t time manage itself & life balance itself anyway!?

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