Here is a quote from one of my favourite books, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.
“Do you know how long a year takes when it's going away?" Dunbar repeated to Clevinger. "This long." He snapped his fingers. "A second ago you were stepping into college with your lungs full of fresh air. Today you're an old man."
"Old?" asked Clevinger with surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Old."
"I'm not old."
"You're inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age? A half minute before that you were stepping into high school, and an unhooked brassiere was as close as you ever hoped to get to Paradise. Only a fifth of a second before that you were a small kid with a ten-week summer vacation that lasted a hundred thousand years and still ended too soon. Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?" Dunbar was almost angry when he finished.
"Well, maybe it is true," Clevinger conceded unwillingly in a subdued tone. "Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?"
"I do," Dunbar told him.
"Why?" Clevinger asked.
"What else is there?”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22
"Old?" asked Clevinger with surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Old."
"I'm not old."
"You're inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age? A half minute before that you were stepping into high school, and an unhooked brassiere was as close as you ever hoped to get to Paradise. Only a fifth of a second before that you were a small kid with a ten-week summer vacation that lasted a hundred thousand years and still ended too soon. Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?" Dunbar was almost angry when he finished.
"Well, maybe it is true," Clevinger conceded unwillingly in a subdued tone. "Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?"
"I do," Dunbar told him.
"Why?" Clevinger asked.
"What else is there?”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22
Well, I am not taking Dunbar's approach. Trying to be as bored as possible to make time slow down just doesn't fit here. And that is my perfect excuse as to why my training for this year's Flight Centre Epic has involved only a couple of gentle exploration rides, bookended by a few kids rides. There is just too much going on and I can't fit it all in.
This is going to hurt. A lot.
Think I might go for a ride. Have a great weekend all.
Ummmm you forgot the other 37km Daveo... tell me you're doing the full big boy?!?!?
ReplyDeleteNo, not forgotten, just ignored. Bugger all training and the fact that we are jumping on a 14 hour flight to LAX the next day saw discretion being the better part of valour this year. I know I can still hurt myself pretty bad with 50km.
DeleteThat elevation change does indeed look painful.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it matters how much we do or what we have on the agenda, time seems to be going by quicker the older we get. Imagine how fast days go by for people in the 80's......
I meant people in their 80's. Not that time didn't go by fast in the 80's (the decade). DOH!
ReplyDeleteAhh, the 80s, the decade where time stood still. Or, the fashion was timeless, or the time when I was a kid and I had hundred thousand year summer vacations....
DeleteRemember Seinfeld's take on old people driving? Your speed limit should be your age 'cause when your 80 or 90 you don't have much time to muck around!
Flyboy:
ReplyDeleteI don't even want to think about it. I'm past the point of no return
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
My Flickr // My YouTube
Time for the Dunbar technique then Bob? ;)
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