While there is time
“While there is time. Let's go out and feel everything.” The opening lines of the song The Finer Things by Steve Winwood, released in 1986, has been on a variety of my playlists, mixed tapes and burnt CDs for over the years.
Until recently though, I didn't know all of the words to the song. What I found interesting when I finally did learn them was that the song resonated with me in a new way. One that I don't think my 15 or 25 year old self would have connected with. Maybe it's because the idea of time has evolved for me and it has become more valuable as I get older. I would assume most people don't think much about time in their 20's. My six and eight year old don’t have a grasp on it at all and when I’m in my late 80s I’m sure I’ll have an even more nuanced point of view. Which really highlights the idea that time is a construct. For a child it doesn't exist but for that same child as an adult it is all too real. And as we know about Einstein's discovery of relativity one would experience time differently the faster they traveled through space.
I first fell in love with the song from a musical perspective as an early teenager when studying and playing music was all I did. I still love the synthesized, slow and sweet melodic intro that rises into a high tempo after the sharp snap of the snare on the upbeat. There is a feeling in the song. Much like all of Steve Winwood's music there is thought, passion, and meaning poured into his art.
As a kid I was fascinated with synthesizers in music because they seemed so different from any of the traditional musical instruments I played. Even though the song was released in the mid 80’s, its use of electronica helped give it a unique sound. We now have whole classes of music with sub genres dedicated to electronic music. All entirely synthetic and produced by computers. There are entire music festivals to satisfy any flavor you have - trap, dubstep or Tropic House. I like to argue that 80’s music was ahead of its time and laid the groundwork for an entirely new sound of music we have today. I’d bet if you slipped a few obscure 80’s tracks onto an album of some of today's music you could pass it off as new.
The opening lines read like a mantra or lesson that I take with me everywhere. Lessons I want to instill into my daughters. Life is short, so go out and live it to the fullest. How do I free them from the burden of time as it begins to become more real to them? My thought is that by showing them time can also be a gift and It's what you do with it that matters. The song continues with the lyrics “for time is a river, rolling into nowhere. We must live while we can and we drink our cup of laughter”.
Sometimes I get chills from the words. Maybe I’ll get my first tattoo?
I frequently question why we are on this earth. Yours is likely different from mine but even though I don’t fully know what mine is, I still believe there is some kind of answer. The more life I live the more I reflect on what I did not know before and how I can pass that information to my kids. It is a real challenge though. I was not cut out to be a teacher for young ones. I spent a good deal of time in childhood education and learned from those who are really good at it and they have a gift I don’t possess. But my own kids are a different story. And the only method I know is by modeling life. How do I live the fullest life? Answer: enjoy it, have fun, take risks, think, do, and feel. But also give, share, work and provide. Give someone the gift of time and understand the difference between those who free up time to be with you vs those who are with you in their free time. It makes my heart sing when I get to see my daughters living their best lives. I’ll know I did my part when I can see them continue to live life and not just go through it.
I look around at the world and I want to see it all. I want to taste all of the foods, see all of the places to see, smell all of the smells. There is a distinctness to the smell of a new country that every time I arrive, I feel alive like no other feeling gives me. I want to experience all of the good life has to offer. There is an endless supply of it and so many people overlook it too frequently. So if you want to have your “ever after” live while you can.
I recently took my girls on their first backpacking trip into Rocky Mountain National Park. This was quite the undertaking and I’ll be honest, I had a few moments where I asked “was this a good idea?” From a hail storm above the tree line to our campsite being significantly farther than indicated to having the wrong dates reserved. At one point I heard my eight year old belly a scream that I could feel. I had a slight sense of panic when I turned to see her rolling on the ground holding her knee. Being three miles into the wilderness I had to think on my feet. The cut on her knee certainly looked like it hurt but wasn’t anything to be concerned about… until I realized I left the first aid kit in my day pack. Luckily, I had a dads second best friend other than a dog… a roll of silver Tesa duct tape. Like a pro, I wrapped up her knee until we ran into some more prepared backpackers who graciously shared some bandages.
When their mom asked about the hike afterwards, they said, “it was hard” yet, for some reason that made my heart content. Sometimes feeling hard and difficult things make for the best rewards. It takes effort to accomplish things in life, whether it is relationships, work, or passions.
I couldn’t have been more proud of my girls after that hike. It was challenging and took a lot of hard work but seeing them take in some of the most beautiful scenery Colorado has to offer and hearing them awe at its majesty gave me sense of fulfillment and joy.
So while there is time, be like 80’s music, get ahead of it. You’ll find out that there is more to life than whatever it is you currently think there is and eventually you’ll start to see “the "finer things keep shining though.”
