A Lifetime

Being around children is both inspiring and grounding. I visited a local school recently to talk to a class of 5-6 year olds about space. Presenting a photo show of my zero gravity flight experience, I faced an array of interesting questions. Including “did this happen before we were born?” The question caught me by surprise. The flight was ten years ago, so yes, before their time. It was part of another lifetime for me, and does have the feel of a section of my distant past.

The realisation that I existed before the children were born, was very grounding. To me, ten years is 1/5 of my life so far. To the class, one year represents the same proportion (1/5) of their lives.

It made me pause to think, again, about the temporary nature of time. What have I achieved in the 1/5 (20%) of my life represented by the last ten years? What have those thirty children achieved in the 1/5 of their life represented by the last twelve months? Many of them will be learning to read and write. They might be gaining competence in sports, and cycling without stabilisers. Perhaps they have access to music lessons, or a chance to learn a second language alongside their first.

In my 1/5 of life, I have changed career, twice. I’ve had a child. I’ve lost people and found people. Life has changed immeasurably. There are also things on my ‘to do’ list which I somehow haven’t made time for – such as learning the guitar. There’s no point comparing achievements, the situations are too different. It’s astonishing how much a five year old can squeeze into a single year though, when I reflect on what I’ve fitted into ten.

It can be easy to dwell on perceived missed opportunities which pass during our lifetime. But for as long as we are here, there are future opportunities. Each day is a chance to learn something new, to do something our tomorrow self will thank us for.

I return often to Mary Oliver’s wonderful poem, The Summer Day. Read aloud for maximum impact. Read often to remind yourself.