13. In the Meantime

“Hey Dad, I have to write an essay on the most important time in a man’s life.” Brat Boy said. “How men make the most of that time and how they screw it up. Whaddya think?”

“The meantime,” I said.

“You really can’t give me a straight answer, can you, Socrates?” he said, shaking his head and laughing.

“Hear me out. A lot of life is defined by what we do while we’re waiting or trying to do something else. My friend Gary knew he wanted to be a doctor the first day of college.  That was gonna take at least eight years.  In the meantime he studied. He didn’t get into any trouble.  In the meantime, he put some of his life on hold chasing that dream. Because he took care of the meantime, he’s a doctor.”

“How do people screw it up?” he asked.

“I couldn’t tell you how many people waiting to go to court for a DUI pick up a second one in the meantime.  Other people put off getting clean waiting for some milestone, or when they're less stressed. In the meantime, they do things to ruin their lives like committing a felony, or wrecking their relationships with broken promises.  Some people die in their meantimes, but more live in endless meantimes waiting for something outside themselves to change.”

“I’m waiting for you to get a second job to buy me a Porsche. In the meantime, I’ll write my essay without mentioning how deprived I am.”

Today I will take care of the meantime.

Time for a Change ©2017 by Ken Montrose

Time for a Change is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com