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Living Well: About Time

by James Mclaughlin
Having been around for 88 years, I’ve begun to change my thoughts about Time. We all have it, 24/7. It’s there. At night, going to sleep, it’s gone. Wake up next morning, it’s there again. Waiting.  On the kitchen table, where you left it, is your “to do list.” It has three or 33 entries. What’s first?
One way I use to decide is comparing time with money. If you spend money, you expect something in return. Spending time thoughtfully will have the same result. Active use of time is beneficial.  One of the 33 items on your list gets done and you feel good.
You can spend, find, borrow, or waste time, but you can’t make it. Being active is worthwhile. Being passive with time can waste it.
Waiting for the mailman; you know what to expect, mostly bills (which you don’t like), advertisements (for things you don’t need), or donation requests from reputable or not so reputable causes (which you can’t possibly afford).
If you watch a one hour ”breaking news” spot, the next hour is most likely a rehash of what you just saw. If you have no money or non-cooperating knees, try armchair travelling. Books, travel magazines, the library, can take you anywhere in the world.
On the internet, researching the flower “bird of paradise,” I found a video clip of another “bird of paradise,” a real bird.  It lives in the jungle of New Guinea. Amazing film clip. The male, looking for a mate, puts on a fantastic show. The females just sit on branches, watching.
First, he clears the dance floor of leaves and debris by flapping his wings, blowing it away.  Then he does a dance. Fanning his feathers, showing iridescent plumage, which is beautiful, then he continues the dance until exhausted. If the girls are not impressed, they just fly away.
Think about time.  How you use it. It’s worth it.

James McLaughlin is 88 years old and currently a part-time student at St. Thomas Aquinas College. A retired Linotype operator of forty years, he started a hot metal type shop on Railroad Avenue in Pearl River–STB Graphics –a business that closed in 1978.  Jim lives in Thorpe Village in Sparkill, is self-sufficient and in good health.

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