Glancing At The Biological Clock

“My get up and go, just got up and went.” My friend Andrew complained over the phone that he had to postpone his birthday luncheon due to his arthritis flairing up. He had taken his medication, but it had no effect. He was apologetic about the sudden change of plans. I assured him that I fully understand his situation and that we can get together later for a belated birthday meal.

Meanwhile, I still envision going for walks and taking in the natural world for many more years. This is something I really enjoy and find benefit in doing. Yet, there is this biological clock ticking within that I notice from time to time. I must allow more time for walks. My body is less tolerant of stresses and strains. I’ve had to moderate my food intake as well as alter the diet somewhat. None of these conditions are unusual. My friends and acquaintances grouse about the same things.

Time is a malleable experience of our consciousness. We feel the passage of time at different rates according to our activity level. When we’re bored, time seems to creep along ever so slowly. When we’re engrossed in something interesting and fun, time appears to zip by in the blink of an eye. This phenomenon apparently happens regarding years, too. A pleasant memory comes to mind, then the realization happens that the lovely event occured over two decades ago. For a moment you wonder where the time went between then and now. The years came and went, even mindfully, but they have vanished without a trace.

While making the bed this morning, a vision of my dear friend Terry came to mind. I remembered helping him clean up his house following the fire that destroyed all of his belongings. The process of discarding the damaged parts of his house and repairing what we could as amateurs brought us closer together as best friends. Eventually, with the help of professional carpenters, electricians, and plumbers, his house was restored to its former condition.

Our friendship grew stronger as the house came together. Then, one afternoon, it was over. Terry had passed away due to complications with chronic health issues. This happened more than a decade ago but it still seems like it was a few weeks ago. The memory was a glance at my own biological clock.

I try not to enslave my existence to the memories of the past nor to idealized visions of what my life should have or should not have been. I’ve long been aware of the biological clock ticking within and that my life progresses at its own pace. I arrived at some milestones at different years than others and achieved others at around the same age as my peers. By most accounts, I’m living a better than anticipated life.

Some folks assess the passage of time better than I do because of differences in our biological clocks. They have had more conventional ways of measuring their time on Earth. They have partnered and had children. The children grew up and have kids of their own. Many of my contemporaries are grandparents. I do not have any of those types of milestones as reference. Meanwhile, I have acknowledged the beat of the biological clock as somewhat etherial. My life goes along with the rhythm as it happens. It is measured in part by being aware of who among my friends are still alive.

Meanwhile, I do not believe in limiting myself to the span of time I have been alloted on Earth. There is the vastness of human experience reaching back to prehistory and the possibilities of the future. All of this is mental food that empowers the present moment.

Do we have biological clocks? It seems that I do. I hear it ticking away. Time management is a more meaningful concept now than it was when I was a worker bee. I feel more responsible for maintaining the mechanism that keeps that clock’s mechanism moving along.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes American actress, Lili Taylor. “I felt that the biological clock was some myth to keep me from doing what I wanted to do. And so I rebelled against it in the ’90s. I thought it was a backlasher, some sort of faulty data. But it’s real. I’m glad I woke up before my body was just like ‘uh-uh’.”