Savoir the Years: Life flies by in a flash

By: Major Wesley R. Wise (Ret.)

Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of its passing. The years sail by unchecked by time. It seems like only yesterday that I was young, embarking on my dream job as a newly minted Baltimore City police officer, a freshly married brand new homeowner looking forward to starting a family. Yes, it seems like yesterday even though it was eons ago, and I can’t but wonder where all those decades went.

I remember savoring the years as they passed, and I know that I lived them well. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams as they flew by. And so it is that I sit here now looking at the winter of my life, with many more years behind me than in front of me, and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did all the years go? Where did my youth – and my health – go? I remember seeing old people and thinking that their time was years away, far into the future. I remember thinking that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or even imagine fully when it would get here or what it would be like.

But, here it is, the time has arrived. Most of my friends and family – those that are still with us – are retired and getting gray – and surprisingly, so am I. I see that old person in myself now. They move slower and more cautiously. Some are in better shape than I am, and some are clearly not. Like me, their age is showing, and we are all looking like those old folks we used to see and never thought we'd be. And of course, some – too many – have already passed on to a better being.

Each day now, I find that just getting a full night’s sleep is my target for the day. And taking daytime naps is not a treat anymore… it’s mandatory, and at the most inconvenient of times, I just fall asleep where I sit, no matter the time of day!

And now… as I enter this new season of my life, ill-prepared for the aches and pains of age, ill-equipped to deal with my loss of vigor, youth and strength, and without the ability to remember or to do things I used to do effortlessly and enjoy immensely.

And I look at all the things that I wish I had done differently over the years. Some I regret immensely, and some I will never forget or feel bad about. But at least I know that though winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last ... this I do know – that when it's over on this earth… it's over. No getting it back. But then a new adventure will begin!

So yes, I have regrets; a few of them. I think about the many things I wish I had done but didn’t… as well as some things I should have done but didn’t, but there are also many things I'm happy to have done. A lifetime of challenges faced and met – and some unmet. But little regret other than having not taken better care of myself.

If you’re like me, some of the things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do – or no longer can do. You sleep better, if at all, on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. What used to be freckles are now liver spots. Everybody for some reason seems to be whispering, and I say “Huh?” way too often. Why don’t they speak louder so I can hear them?

So, if you're not living in your winter yet… let me remind you that it will be here faster than you can imagine. And whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, do it now, sooner rather than later! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by too quickly. So, do what you can TODAY, as you can never be sure whether this is your true winter or not! There is no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life one more time ... so, say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember… and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done to, with, and for them in all the years past!!

Remember, life was a GIFT to you, and the way you lived your life was your gift to those who came after. I hope you made it a fantastic one, as I mostly did. Navigate the time you have left carefully because whatever you yearn for in life, that’s all you have left.

Just sayin’

A thirty-six-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, Wes retired in 2006 as the Commander of the city’s 911 System. While recovering from a stroke in 2014, he wrote two books about his experiences as a Baltimore cop. Wes has also self-published fourteen books for other writers. Need publishing help? Contact Wes at weswise78@gmail.com. A father of two and grandfather of ten, he and his wife of 49 years live near Baltimore, Maryland.