Captain Microwave Mind

  In a podcast recently I heard a funny quip about time. They were having a discussion about ice cream and if hot toppings should be applied. I agreed with the one guy when he postulated that the hot toppings help melt the ice cream thus making for a more pleasurable eating experience. The other host simply said, "Why not just add time?"

  That indeed is the question. Is time an ingredient that, when added, can enhance and better our experinces? If we add time, can we do without the hot toppings?

  I read a funny quote as well. "Might as well become friends with time, you're gonna spend a lot of it together".

  Time as an ingredient. Time as a friend. For me, time is to long. Call me, "Captain Microwave Mind"! I want things done quickly. I can't help but wanting things done rapidly.

  However, I really appreciate things that take time. Where they take time too, I have no idea. Is there a time island where time goes to get some time off? No really, things that take time to build or create are often impressive.

  The idea that somethings just take time is erroneous. For instance, it doesn't take time to grow a vegetable garden. It takes soil, seeds, summer, weeding, water, and a miracle. Once all those things are in place then you add time. Not too much later and things will start to grow. Then you start seeing and hoping. If you are good you can start identifying the plants almost right away.

  But we don't eat those tiny plants. We nurture them. We feed them. We hope for them. We marvel when the flowers come out. Then those tiny veggies come in. So cute!

  The point for me is, I feel like a young plant. I am well watered and fed. My roots are tapping deep and my leaves are maturing. So, like, when is the fruit going to come? Actually there is fruit and I am grateful for it. Its a time consuming thing to produce some kinds of produce. And I want the best. 

  I remember going into a community garden at UCR. There was lots of cool things that the stores didn't carry. I was in awe. A lady mentioned that she grew asparagus. I didn't know what it was and inquired of the lady. She said that it took a couple of years before an asparagus plant would produce. As a young man I thought, "Forget that, that's far too long". She had been very proud of them. I couldn't understand.

  How does a gardener plant something that takes so long to mature? I thought two years was like a lifetime. If I planted them then, I would have been like 14 years old when they matured! Who had that much time?

  That lady had no idea if the asparagus would work out. Maybe they would be digged up by dogs or trampled by kids. But she planted anyways. She had great hope and desire to see the finished process. As it turns out, part of the pleasure of gardening is the process.    

  That lady also told me that artichokes took years to grow. She also said they were from the moon. I don't know about that one. Maybe she was growing herbs other than thyme. Or maybe she said they looked like they came from the moon. Funny lady. 

  Time flies when you're having fun. Fruit flies like an apple.