An Open Letter to Time

Dear 2020:

I confess this is awkward for me. I wasn't certain where to send this to you or what the postage/hashtag is to avoid the ‘404: return to sender’ embarrassment. Nor am I certain what your formal name is. You seem to have so many pseudonyms (Father Time, Chronos, Baby New Year, Sands of Time, Clock, Calendar, etc..) while crossing over so many spans of cultures and generations under another title. Music, literature, history, sciences, arts, daily events; you are everywhere, but not anywhere to be found.

Anyways, enough with the musings…how are you? Sorry, that I have not stopped by or taken the time lately to send an update. It has been a very busy year here and it is only 1/2 way over! Can you believe it – where does it all go? At the end of 2019, if I was foretold of the activities that you would initiate this year, I would have expressed doubt or maybe laughed sarcastically. Of course, I should know better...hindsight is 20-20 after all. :D

Over the duration of the last six months, I often found myself asking, "Where is the reset button for 2020?" It was in vain humor to conceal the cloudy ambiguity that we were facing. You have impacted so many things with challenging, personal, and consequential impacts that flood our emotions, confound our mental health, agitate our well-being, and push us beyond our comfort zone. The pace of change lately has made it hard to keep up with you old friend; my sticky notes are scattered everywhere. At times, it feels like a sprint against speed/clock and I am out of shape (or at least out of sticky notes and ink).

We have witnessed harrowing marvels occur recently as you reveal your plans in waves of transformation thus far. A lot of it is comprehended as a negative occurrence at initial glance or upon first encounter. Justifiably, that is completely understandable and relatable: a financial crisis, global health pandemic, employment challenges, senseless acts of racial and religious insensitivities, teaching our children and educational system to reform, trials of our own self-identity and worth, droughts of true leadership where expected/needed, and even second-guessing truth. Wow, you have been hyper busy this year! There is still half of the year to go...what more do you have in your diary? Whatever means you accomplish your planning and marketing dubs you the title of “Mischiever of Time”. Yep, you are right; that is not a word…but is it one of your elusive nicknames?

Remember when we were younger? I recall we would waste the time away and just be simple, innocent youth playing and growing – those days were so majestic. Where has our journey led us? What is to be with us? How have I seen us change? Do you see it too? I have thought about that a lot with an intent to retain a sense of optimism and to chose to believe. Each passing day it seems like the positives are harder to recognize. However, they do exist when I seek them out.

Most of humanity has seen an increase in empathy and helping one another. We now have open conversations that allow us to explore topics that may still be hard or were once taboo, but it’s a start and evolving forward. Our ability to navigate change seems to be a more prominent competency as we develop that muscle with Herculean effort. We have seen the ways we work, individually or collectively, accelerate us forward into a new era of remote skills and flexible work. People can positively contribute their interests and talents while still maintaining a sense of what is important to them with greater appreciation. Our intelligence about many historical bits and future innovations have become more transparent. The world seems to be less bigger as we become more global and connected to each other. There are simply too many things to list all of them; perhaps the memories, pictures, and sticky notes of this year will capture the sentiments and blessings of daily life as we look back in the years ahead.

As I write this to you, I can’t help but recall that this is a marathon – not a sprint. Here is some good news to share with you that anchors me in this storm:

• my change resiliency is augmented instead of fatigued
• my growth mindset is open instead of fixed
• my EQ has grown instead of maintaining the status quo
• my trials lead me to empathetic actions more naturally for others instead of intentionally hiding imperfections
• my continuous learnings each day allows me to understand what you do instead of just ignorantly pressing forward
• my love and respect fortifies for those I am part of their lives instead of passing thru the day blindly

I wonder Time, when was the last time you received a note of gratitude that reflected on your abilities? You have always been there and had a strong presence in influencing our life. Thank you for helping me to enhance these areas within myself and others. Your counter positioning in all things always seems to create new ways in due time.

Chaucer stated, “time and tide waits for no man” while Heraclitus declared, “that change is the only constant in life”.

Either way, they are both 100% correct in their wisdom. If anything, you have trained us this year that Time waits for no man while Change is no respecter of role, status, age, or location. There are a lot of stories to swap, reflections on our time together, and speculation of the future. If you have a minute in your day, drop a line or stop on by, it would be good to slow down and catch up with you before 2021 arrives.

Looking forward,

Douglas Flory