Tick Tock, Life Is A Clock | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

Tick Tock, Life Is A Clock

My Grandmother's watch reminded me that timing isn't everything.

85
Tick Tock, Life Is A Clock
LeBoudoirNoir, Etsy

Tick Tock, life is a clock. Literally, every facet of our lives is scheduled. From birth on, the clock runs our lives. From things as little as daily tasks, to larger endeavors such as when it’s time to get married, have kids and retire. As I was rummaging through my old jewelry box I came across a silver and gold vintage watch that used to belong to my Grandmother. I was struck by how simple and classically beautiful it was, but also by the fact that the second hand was still. I waited a moment, but it remained 5:47 and 54 seconds.

As a child, I resented the way life seemed to drudge along at a snail’s pace. I was in such a hurry. I found that I was always hoping for a fast forward button. First, I wanted to be a first grader. Then I couldn’t wait to be in fifth grade. Then I couldn’t wait to be a middle schooler. That was when I started dreaming of being a teenager. Oh the freedom, the instant cool factor, the parties, the dances… I was desperate for that fast forward button. So much so that I was never content with the present.

Then, as a seventeen year old, I desperately wanted to rewind. I wished I could go back to feeling carefree and joyful. I wanted to believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. I wanted to have my parents tuck me in at night. I didn't want to worry about college and scholarships and money. I just wished I had more time. It drove me crazy. I started feeling like the moment the sun came up it went right back down. Days became weeks, weeks became months, and then a year passed and I was a legal adult finishing up my senior year of high school. Desperately trying to hold on to my childhood, I felt like this invisible hand was pushing me down a path I didn't want to be on.

Now as a freshman in college, wondering what to do and how to exist as a productive human, The weight of time feels even heavier. When you look around you question everything. Am I doing it wrong or is everyone else? Is it so blatantly obvious that I have no idea what is going on? I want my mom. I can't tear my eyes away from what everyone else is doing. Tick tock, the clock won't stop. Am I in the right place to be pursuing my dreams? Is that even the right decision, or should I just do something practical that I know I can get a job in right away. I'm only 18, but everyone seems to think this is just how it works. That I should plan my whole life out now. Why do I have to know now?

This realization led me to the idea that maybe I resent the concept of time. Not time itself, I understand that the world spins and seasons change and aging is inevitable. But I resent the expectations and limits that man has put on time. I don’t like having every aspect of my existence predetermined. I want to grow up at my own pace, not at the pace society tells me to. I long to shed the expectations time has put on me. Maybe I don’t want to go right to college after high school. Perhaps I choose to explore the world in my youth and get higher education after my retirement. I could get married at 25 and have kids 2 years later and be a stay at home mom, or I could get married at 55 and never have kids at all. Either way its my decision, and I would like to feel that I have the freedom to choose without the pressure of the status quo.

Time is a difficult concept. Much like my Grandmother's watch, it is classic and beautiful. However, its inner mechanisms can be confusing, and sometimes it may read the wrong time or feel like it stops entirely. While time is a good guideline for life, it cannot serve as the definitive schedule for all your hopes and dreams. Ultimately, only you can do that. Growing up is important, but so is holding on to who you are. In the process of growing up, don't let your inner child fade away, because they exist for a reason. So let the constant ticking of time fade into the background for awhile, and enjoy the present.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

68068
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

7040
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments