By Staff
Chuck Bodiford Publisher
How many times have you heard yourself say, "I don't have the time?" Probably this phrase is most often muttered under our breath or in the deep recesses of our mind only when we feel sure that no one will ever know our true feelings. But what if we actually said this where someone could actually hear us, would they feel that we were using that as an excuse? Maybe, maybe not, probably more times than not, they themselves are having similar feelings.
Do I take the time on a Saturday to go fishing or do I stay at home and cut the grass? Most people would say out of the two, cutting the grass is the priority.
If I stay home and get the grass cut, I can have a sense of accomplishment whereas with fishing; I might not catch a thing and waste the day. Another point is that if I don't go ahead and get the grass cut, it is still going to be there continuing to growing and get worse.
Everything we do is based on time. Probably most voluntary thoughts we have are only acted upon after looking at a time piece. In today's world, we seem to always have something to do or somewhere to be. So what do we do, we prioritize. Either consciously or subconsciously we have to decide what is more important at that specific time.
When you think about it, really is the problem that we don't have enough time, or is the real problem mismanagement of our time. Over the last couple of days, I have had the chance to look over information that John Garrard provided about the man known as Mac Mays. Looking back on his life, it is amazing to read everything Mr. Mays was involved with. At one time Mays worked as a State Representative, teacher, and stayed involved in his clubs and church. Not to mention take time for his family.
How in the world do people, such as Mr. Mays, manage their time so well? In my own opinion I would say probably, a lot of practice. I have found that everyday, I have the chance to improve my management of time and the prioritization of the things that come up throughout the day.
Hopefully this balance of time will be found as I continue to grow older, and possibly even wiser.
As far as for fishing, I did go last Saturday. The grass still isn't cut, but like I mentioned before it is still there and will wait until I am ready. For the fishing trip, I didn't catch a thing, but the day was far from being a waste. All day long, I was surrounded by family…a priority in my life.
Chuck Bodiford is an Atmore native and publisher of the Advance. He may be reached by calling 368-2123 or by email at chuck.bodiford@atmoreadvance.com