Time-travel
An interesting lesson I received via my quest to eradicate my IMDB watchlist has been on my mind today.
In the midst of this baby season, I have been trying to get through the 100+ movies I have added to my watchlist over the past 2 years. Last night’s edition was ‘about time’. What is portrayed as more of a rom-com is really just a story about life, and it’s strangely high rating on IMDB always piqued my interest.
Did I love the movie? Not really, but I was moved by the lesson it ultimately seeks to share, as were I’m sure most who watched it. (Hence the higher ratings)
The main lesson is to treat each ordinary day as a day that you’ve already lived once, and are now going back in time to ‘re-live’ and recapture the magic of that day. I find myself romanticizing the past, as I’m sure most do. The early days of meeting Megan, Friday nights eating Moe’s and watching movies in Bancroft in college, boat days in Pensacola. Part of me wishes I could ‘revisit’ those experiences beyond the memories that stay in my head. One day I know that I will consider today one of those days as well.
I will look back and think ‘what was it like to wake up in our 1 story brick home to a 27 month old Cortland and a 2 month old Bauer? Give Sadie a hug and make my coffee in our weirdly dark kitchen. Sit on the porch swing and pray before going inside to give Cortland his ‘waffles and grapes’ before he pleads with me to play ‘car-trucks’ with heavy enthusiasm. One day I will wish I could come back to visit this day, so I should live today with a gratitude, and awareness that allows me to appreciate the blessing today is.
This is expanded for me today in a time that my best friend is going through tragedy. The Murdens are surviving a daily battle against the sin that is taking their baby girl from them, and their life will never be the same. I know God can and will redeem it, and I am praying for peace for them, but I want to remind myself that the same reality can come for all of us at any time, and we should never wish away or ignore the magic that exists in a normal, ordinary, seemingly not-so-special weekday like today.
Am I still getting paid?
This week’s post comes in the midst of my salary based income really proving it’s worth.
After taking 35 days of baby leave in August (Welcome Bauer!), I have yet to have a shift for VUP-19 in my 3rd week back at work. Flights keep getting cancelled and frankly just aren’t making it to my scheduled work time of 2100L..It is a weird feeling not having to work for this long, and I am trying to make the most of my “free” time to continue becoming a better husband, father, and man overall.
Right now Tina (God bless her) Is feeding Bauer while Megan is out and about. Cortland is at daycare and I have often found myself with a full freedom to do whatever I please on weekday mornings like today.
This past weekend we had the Crichlows in town, and I was telling Justin how my least favorite thing about the Navy is that I cannot ‘increase’ my compensation with hard work or superior performance in the Navy. The top performing LTs, and least performing LTs (what feels like me right now), all get paid the same no matter what. I am very much looking forward to the ability to earn greater compensation for what I arrogantly consider to be my superior work.
However, right now I am trying to enjoy the current moment as much as I can. When is the next time I will have 50+ hours of free time a week to do what I please and spend time with my kids? Retirement likely..
For now, I will continue taking care of the house, practicing piano, and working on improving my golf and tennis time in this extra time I have!
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