THE BANK OF TIME

THE BANK OF TIME

When, with that first cry we make our presence known, a deposit is made in our names in the Bank of Time. How we choose to spend this precious substance, a substance of incalculable value, is our personal choice. We may be influenced by others regarding our spending habits, but as its worth diminishes we must accept the fact that we, and we alone, were responsible for the value achieved.

How quickly time passes. Soon, it will be a new year, another year’s worth of time withdrawn from my account at the Bank of Time. One can only hope that it was time well spent as, from my rough calculation, it would appear that my account balance is nearing the point where it's in danger of being overdrawn. Of course, we all know that there’s not much of a chance of this happening.

It’s quite amazing how quickly one can spend through what was once a fortune. When you’re young it’s easy to spend a day here, a day there, perhaps even a week, or two chasing silly desires and ambitions. Of course, when you’re young with a lot of time in the bank it’s easy to throw caution to the wind opting to spend more wisely tomorrow. And, then, one day you realize that there aren’t a lot of tomorrows in the bank, just a lot of hours and a few desperate minutes and seconds.

So, if this older person can share a bit of advice, make the best of your deposit at the Bank of Time and live every day in every possible way because, you can’t always count on tomorrow and tomorrow.

Winter Friend - Chickadee                      Hand-coloured Etching

Downy Woodpecker    Hand-coloured Etching

My studio in Horseshoe Valley had a large old maple tree beside the window where I often worked. Woodpeckers and Nuthatches would visit the winter suet feeders and after filling up would climb the tree and cling motionless awaiting another opportunity to visit the feeder.

Red-breasted Nuthatch  Watercolour Painting

Another window looked out on pine trees. Chickadees and nuthatches would take a seed and fly into the pine branches where they'd crack it open and remove the nut. The pines offered protection against predators, such as Sharp-shinned Hawks that visited the feeders on a regular basis searching out a meal.

White-breasted Nuthatch           Graphite Drawing