Timers

We, in America, could easily be crowned the biggest time watchers on the planet.  In our own personal space, we have access to info on time passing in at least three ways--our alarm clock,watch, phone, computer.  Now add the clock on the wall, the radio, the TV.  Every form of transit has the time posted for us, our churches ring out the hour.  Schools, places of business have clocks in easy view.  It makes me wonder if the real attraction in shopping and eating out has to do with the absence of time keepers in those establishments.

It has to be anxiety producing, this obsession with tracking our moments.  Seeing no possibility that we're going to give it up any time soon, I'm taking the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach and offering a way to steal a little time for ourselves.  I'm going to call it the ten minute rule:

Select a timer of your choice, and I know every electronic device we own has one.  Or use the wind-up timer in your kitchen if you haven't yet succumbed to living your life by beeps.  Set it for ten minutes.  These ten minutes are yours.  Just for you.  Within your ten minute bubble of time, you are free to do anything, or nothing you choose.  It could be ten music minutes, then breathing minutes, ten dancing minutes, ten reading minutes, ten bike-riding minutes, ten watching the stars minutes, ten sudoku minutes.  All for you, in your ten minute bubble. 

Then, back in everyone's time, things may flow easier, be less crowded, less down to the minute.  Thanks to one simple ten minutes of time just for you.