Sunday, October 31, 2010

Time flies

Any Other Time
                                                     ~ Andrew Barton Paterson

All of us play our very best game—
Any other time.
Golf or billiards, it’s all the same—
Any other time.
Lose a match and you always say,
“Just my luck! I was ‘off’ to-day!
I could have beaten him quite half-way—
Any other time!”

After a fiver you ought to go—
Any other time.
Every man that you ask says “Oh,
Any other time.
Lend you a fiver! I’d lend you two,
But I’m overdrawn and my bills are due,
Wish you’d ask me—now, mind you do—
Any other time!”

Fellows will ask you out to dine—
Any other time.
“Not to-night, for we’re twenty-nine —
Any other time.
Not to-morrow, for cook’s on strike,
Not next day, I’ll be out on the bike —
Just drop in whenever you like —
Any other time!”

Seasick passengers like the sea—
Any other time.
“Something . . I ate . . disagreed . . with me!
Any other time
Ocean-trav’lling is . . simply bliss,
Must be my . . liver . . has gone amiss . .
Why, I would . . laugh . . at a sea . . like this—
Any other time.”

Most of us mean to be better men—
Any other time:
Regular upright characters then—
Any other time.
Yet somehow as the years go by
Still we gamble and drink and lie,
When it comes to the last we’ll want to die—
Any other time!

The weekends are so fleeting it almost induces a panic state.  There is that pesky issue of work on Monday to contend with, and the associated mad routine of feeding, cleaning, educating, transporting, nurturing and, somewhere in there, enjoying, three sweet, fresh-faced children.  Not much has been crossed off that October list.  Must take a deep breath and dive headlong into November.  It wouldn't hurt to keep half an eye on 2011 too a it's just around the corner.  This year was a bit blah. So I think we need to set some some goals ... be a bit bold, imaginative, wishful ... and plan some fun things to look forward to in the coming year - other than housekeeping.  For it is true that time flies and the years zip by (faster now I'm sure). Children certainly remind you of that.  One minute you've got a house full of duplo blocks and nappies and the next it's cluttered with board games and stray socks you confuse with your own.  So while I'd love to curl up under the covers with the Beanie Bears, who are hiding in a cubbie under the bed, on this wet Sunday, I'd better get moving... and scheming. 

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