Time Passages

One of the side effects of aging is that you end up with more and more "miles under your belt."

When I was a kid, I remember the older adults fondly looking back to a time when they were very young... back then, it was "The Roaring 20's" they were talking about. Odd to think that so much time has passed that they were reflecting on a time that — by today's measure — was 100 years ago!

The passage of time really sinks in when you realize — as I did, earlier today — that when you are fondly reflecting back to the 1980's, that was forty years ago.

It doesn't feel like it was forty years ago. As the saying goes, "time flies, whether you're having fun, or not."

It's funny how we can end up with "moments of realization" where the passage of time suddenly makes itself known with crystal clarity, and we become very aware of the ticking clock of existence.

For me, it happened shortly before Covid lockdowns when I came face-to-face with the fact that a friend's daughter had a toddler... and aforesaid daughter was born after the turn of the millennium.

Made me think about how — when I was really little — whenever I encountered someone who has been born in the 1800's, they were really old. For example, my Uncle Kai was born in 1894. My Aunt Grete was born in 1899.

I also remember sitting with my auntie — in her late 80s at the time — listening to her remarks that you may reach a point in life where all the people you grew up with have passed away, and you find yourself in the position of being the "sole survivor" of your generation and friends group.

She lived another five years, after that...

I realize many people have a deep-rooted fear of dying... and I'm sure they have their reasons. For reasons I don't entirely understand, I made peace with death back in my 30's, recognizing it as an inevitable part of living. Nobody gets out alive.

Hug your children. Hug your parents. Hug your partners. Hug your cats; hug your dogs. Life is fleeting and fragile and passes by surprisingly fast... and you never truly know when "your number is up!"

How about YOU? Have you ever had a moment where you suddenly became VERY aware of passing time? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 2026.07.26 00:14PDT
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