I’m sitting on my back deck on an unusually warm January Saturday afternoon, thinking about all the New Year’s resolutions I made this year and the hundreds of others I’ve made in 58 years of life, and mostly broken. An old James Taylor song comes to mind; “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.” Beside me, as I hum that old tune I’d nearly forgotten, my two pups, Hachi and Skidmore, and my kitty cat, Isabella, are luxuriously sunning themselves, stretching and yawning.
Behind me in the house, I’ve got supper in the oven and my 79-year-old Mother and 77-year-old Uncle – my housemates – and my 76-year-old Aunt Millie who lives just up the road a piece, warming up for an afternoon of Scrabble. They’ve become addicts. They love Scrabble so much that they bought not one, but two, enormous Scrabble boards on turntables, with ginormous letter tiles. There’s no need to get up to play or even wear your glasses—with two boards, they can host a family tournament!
Through the open dining room windows, I hear my sis, Robin, and brother-in-law, Roger, walk in the front door. Oh dear, this is going to be a serious Scrabble day. My sis calls, “Brother, come play Scrabble with us!” I decline. Instead, I just sit in the warm sun with my four-legged babies, thinking about all the things I should be doing for work next week, and all the things I didn’t get done and all the other chores that are calling my name. And I decide, “Ah, what the heck, later.”
Then James Taylor calls to me again, and I start to hum…
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. Any fool can do it, there ain’t nothing to it.
Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill. But since we’re on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride.
The secret of love is in opening up your heart. It’s okay to feel afraid, but don’t let that stand in your way no longer.
Cause anyone knows that love is the only road. And since we’re only here for a while, might as well show some style.
Now the thing about time is that time isn’t really real. It’s just your point of view. How does it feel for you?
Einstein said that he could never understand it all; planets spinning through space, the smile upon your face.
Welcome to the human race…
…And isn’t it a lovely ride? Sliding down, gliding down. Try not to try too hard it’s just a lovely ride!
No. I think I’ll skip the family Scrabble match and just sit here, me and James Taylor, and soak in the sounds of my crazy, Scrabble-loving family wrapped all around me.
Sitting on my back deck, thinking about all the New Year’s resolutions I made, and the hundreds of others I’ve made in 58 years of life, and mostly broken. Then I sing another bar to myself—”The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.” Thanks James for reminding me of the secret of life. And that, I decide, will be my true New Year’s resolution