The Harsh Mistress

 As a young child, most have an unfailing positivity which is a side effect of the innocence they are born into.  Some children learn quickly that the life situation in which they have been placed does not call for such innocence, while others are not burdened with these worries until they grow much older.  But then, there are those rarities who seem to grow alongside their innocence and allow it to flourish with them rather than having it nipped in the bud, regardless of how they live.  We all strive to be the rarity, to allow time to be children, to dream and imagine even after we have aged far beyond a period of adolescence.  Most of us, however, fail to do so.  We get caught up in life.  Running to appointments and meetings, scheduling every minute of every day, and always replying 'we don't have time', or 'we'll do it some other time, I promise' to any activity which doesn't result in a tangible benefit.  We forget to stop and remember to let our imaginations run wild; we forget to allow ourselves time to enjoy.  And suddenly, we realize that we are old and running out of time.  We've missed our opportunity to live.  When we turn to life and sob, crying out, 'Please, I need more time!  I've wasted your gift, I'm so sorry.', life just thumbs us in the nose and laughs.  Because we have done exactly as we were warned not to, by our elders, by our parents, by our friends.  We have wasted our gift, and life doesn't care.  To her, we are just one more who wasted her gift and is left with regret.

Take your time, 'step lightly' upon this earth.  Because we were built for the earth, the earth was not built for us, and humans have a way of lending themselves to forgetfulness when it comes to that.