Giving Time

Your time is always given away whether intentionally or not. Every minute, second, hour and day you exist goes away and never comes back to you. Memories are subtle chalkmarks in our minds as we continue to live our lives in real time until the end of our own time. The only surety is the passing away of all of your time.

I often say Iʻm still living on New York time by New York minutes, which presumably are counted and executed faster than Hawaiian minutes. However, they donʻt really add up to more actual time in oneʻs actual life — it just feels like we are speeding through our days — as if moving faster was somehow superior, as if we are actually accomplishing more.

KNOWING WHEN TO STOP IS SO IMPORTANT.

Locals in Hawaii know that if the time for an event is 6 p.m. no oneʻs getting there before 6:30. If you arrive on time you are there all by yourself. Whereas in New York City I once arrived for the ballet after 8 p.m. and had to watch the whole first half of the program on a little TV in a little room with other late-comers.

I accidentally gave myself an excuse to stop running on New York Time this morning by booking last night at Kohanaiki Beach Park instead of rushing back to Fern Forest to sleep in my truck there in the rainforest instead of here in this pristine natural environment near the ocean, after teaching the last two days at Konawaena High School. Ostensibly it was so I could hit the Amy B. Greenwell Garden Plant Sale this morning on my way back, which starts at 9 a.m. Itʻs a quarter to nine and I am still here drinking my second cup of coffee and writing this post. Because there is time.

TAKE CARE WITH YOUR TIME.

THE MOST VALUABLE GIFT YOU CAN EVER GIVE ANYONE IS YOUR TIME.