As the song says, “Time, is on my side, yes it is.”
Well, is it? Don’t we constantly find ourselves looking at the clock, or calendar, and wondering how the heck it got to be so late in the day, or in the month?
I was spending time with a friend and his daughters the other day, and it struck me that he is in for a world of hurt when it comes time for them to start dating. Of course, he has voiced the same thing to me, as well. Fathers of daughters, we really need to have a group therapy session, don’t we? (Well, as George Carlin said, we do, and it meets at the bar…)
It was pointed out to me that if you break it down by weekends, you only get a miniscule number of weekends with your kids once they enter school till they graduate.
How many of those get gobbled up by activities and various other things where we are running 90 to nothing and look up at each other on Sunday night and ask that same question, “How’d we get here already”?
While I am not at all implying that kids’ activities are bad or intrusive, I am saying that it would be a good idea every once in a while to stop, and take time for our selves and our kids. I myself need constant reminding of this simple fact.An afternoon at the pool, an evening walk as a family, and so on. What about, and this is gonna sound radical, but one evening a week, have dinner together, at the table, without the TV on or cell phones in the room? Shocking stuff, I know.
I recall time spent around the dining table, that actually now resides in my apartment, laughing and poking fun at and with my brothers and parents. It seemed to be a nightly thing. For those who’ve never had that, I suggest trying it. It’s amazing what you’ll learn about each other.
I would never have admitted it at the time, but those nightly dinners were sometimes the highlight of my day. I will make plans to try and have something similar to them as soon as possible. (Yes, my father reads this column. No, I’m not gonna call you and ask for something tomorrow, Dad.)
Ben Cox is the host of “Ben Cox in the Morning” weekday mornings from 6 to 9 on KQBZ, 96.9 FM in Brownwood Texas. He is the new in-stadium voice of the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets football team, & Ben is also an event DJ for weddings, parties and the like, and can be contacted through the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce.
The thoughts and comments reflected in this column are those of the writer alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Wendlee Broadcasting, or its affiliates.
