Fast Times

The passing of time seems relative: "time flies when you're having fun," while it can seem time slows to a crawl when you're engaged in an unpleasant experience (waiting for a shift to end or sitting in the dentist's chair).  So it was strange to start and end my workday with two time-bending experiences, featuring two dear people in my life. 

I started my day with a colleague of mine who I admire as a person and a professional.  Since it had been awhile since we had caught up, our short time together over coffee was peppered with all sorts of stimulating discussion on topics such as parenthood, education reform, and the role of anchor institutions in big cities. 

I ended my day catching up with a dear Christian friend of mine who I went to college with, and who was in town for a conference.  I am especially thankful for friendships where it can be months since we last talked and yet in minutes we are pouring out our souls to one another about difficult decisions we've made or are making in our lives, whether personal or professional or spiritual. 

In both cases, I was energized and delighted by these small slivers of quality time with a cherished person.  And yet, in both cases, when it was time to part and I looked at my watch, far less time had passed than I would've guessed.  I suspect it was because our times together had packed in so much meaningful discourse. 

At any rate, it was an intensely enjoyable way to start and end the day.  For someone who lives so much in the past and future, it appears I am finally learning how to be in the present.  And it is good.