Hours to spend. How to spend them. We are rich in time one day and poor the next. Retirees often say that they don’t know how they found time to work. Is it possible to be penny-wise and pound-foolish with time? Or as my friend Jarvis told me when he first retired, that he was spending too much money, as everywhere he went, there was something to purchase. Time marches past us like a passing parade; we must jump in to keep time to the music.

The animals learn their roles in the ocean of time. From morning till night, they are busy spending their valuable commodity. Focus is vital to the enjoyment of time. ‘I must be about my father’s business,’ when Jesus was found by his parents in the temple.

Nihilism is growing in our land. ‘Friedrich Nietzsche said that modern society has destroyed God, stripping society of its value system and creating societal nihilism.’ People who ascribe to nihilism can explore the joy of the immediate experience and find joy in the moment. Many seek to create their own meaning of life. Others are not tethered to morality or ethics since nothing in their philosophy has meaning. These people in leadership political positions are dangerous.

I remember wanting a Kenner Projector for kids that showed a cartoon slide on the wall of your bedroom or on the ceiling from bed. When I got one for Christmas, I was overjoyed. I was in control of a cartoon that I loved. Life in Chicago was fun. Friends on both ends of the street and hours of watching Steve give Marionette shows. The Marionettes were alive to me. Puppets on a string. Oh, the predicaments they got in and had to extricate themselves from. At times, their strings would get tangled. Depending on the proficiency of the Puppeteer, they might go left when they intended to go right. When they attempted to sit, they might get their feet crossed and fall to the floor to finish the scene from the prone position. All depended on the focus of the Puppet Master. So it goes with our Look Through Time as we remember when our strings got tangled or our feet became crossed. The Puppet Master picked us up and we began again.

We struggle to fill our days with purpose until we focus on a purpose that inspires us. Once that calling is secure in our psyche, we are off to the races. The most satisfying of accomplishments come from helping others. Those who have no friend or advocate need someone to be their voice. Someone who cares if the marionettes are in a tangled mess on the floor.