If I Could Put Time in a Bottle

We’d all like to capture time and dispense it when and where we choose. As the song says: “There never seems to be enough time to do the things we want to do…”

I live in Florida. What that means, especially in “season,” is that overnight guests are part of our lives from Jan. through April. The current economy and gas prices have made this season an exception; none-the-less, when it happens, I must hide, store, and box my art supplies and painting messes for the duration.

Of course, this makes preparing for my blog a real challenge. I can’t have wet paintings lying around. My art room is turned back into a guest bedroom. The kitchen table has been cleared off for actual meals. The dining room table where I perform my photo shoots with tripod is cleared off. My comfy T.V. lounging spot is devoid of crossword puzzles, notebooks, magazines, and the Kindle I use to read books during commercials.

If I sound like a pig, I apologize. I happen to be one of those people who likes to keep everything nearby so I can nail down ideas before they get away. I can’t function with an organized desk top or everything in its place. I’ve tried that. The result was an inability to stay on task or remember what I was into. When I needed something, I couldn’t recall where I put it, let alone find it!

I call my “stuff” organized clutter. It helps me stay focused, and keeps me productive with all my wheels in gear, even when I’m resting. I’d like to strangle time, if I could, especially when it gets away from me. I want to shove the time genie’s engorged head back into its bottle until I’m good and ready to end my day.

But when all is said and done, we spend time doing the things we love, the things we must, and the things we feel we should do. If we’re able to produce a magnificent painting or a best-selling novel in between, it’s a miracle.

If we’ve cheered someone up, helped a fellow human being, or created strong family ties along the way our priorities are in place. Who can ask for more?