I don’t have cable; therefore the soundtrack to my daily routine is generally dictated by Spotify’s shuffle feature. Yesterday’s commute to work included a song called Timekeeper. A clock ticks as the music begins to play. The lyrics start as follows:

Timekeeper
I can’t believe how long it’s been
Timekeeper
I wish I could start over again

I’m too young to be feeling this way
Yeah I’m wasted as I lie awake
There goes another day

Whoa, timekeeper
Please won’t you slow it down tonight
Timekeeper, the days are rolling by,
Timekeeper, tell me I’m going to be alright

Normally, I just sing along loudly, off key, and bang on the steering wheel – mildly embarrassed when the driver in the car next to me catches my eye and smiles. But this time, I listened to the words and played it again.

Why? Because I realized when I set the date on my watch that morning that it was June. June is my birth month. June, watch, time, timekeeper, birthday. Does anyone else assign meaning to seemingly random events? I do.

Up to this point, I hadn’t given my birthday much thought. It’s not a milestone year and I’d been rather indifferent about it. You’re as young as you feel, right? Age is only a number.

Later that day I got an email from Sephora reminding me, yet again, that my birthday is coming up and I should “start the celebration with a free gift – redeemable online or in store”. The words to Timekeeper still playing in my head, I stopped at Sephora on my way home. I’m a sucker for good marketing.

As I picked up a few items and made my way to the register, I passed the sunless tanner display. A particular brand piqued my interest. Its bottle claimed to give you a “youthful glow”. Hello! It was speaking directly to me. It was evident that I NEEDED this product, what with my birthday coming up and the foreseeable fading of my youth.

Willing to risk the possibility of looking like I’d rolled around in a bag of Cheetos, last night I painstakingly applied it. I’d like to say it instantly made me feel younger but the opposite was true. I had to awkwardly contort my aging body to reach the application mitt to the center of my back. Next time I think I’ll stretch first.

Today, however, I’m looking pretty good. I even consulted my brutally honest mom to make sure it was safe for me to leave the house with my newly tanned skin aglow. I’m feeling pretty good, too. Yes, maybe another year has passed, but in that year, I took a lot of risks – and not just on beauty products. I’ve taken on more responsibilities at work, met new people, gained confidence and learned to assert myself and say “no” when I need to. See more info at geauxmaids.com.

So what’s the point of my story?

The Timekeeper is not going to slow things down. There will never be a better time than now. Whatever it is you’ve been putting off, do it.

  • Apply for that job (KPCC is hiring!)
  • Join the ultimate Frisbee team
  • Visit your ailing family member
  • Get marriage counseling
  • Remodel your kitchen
  • Move on
  • Take those painting classes
  • Say you’re sorry
  • Buy tickets to KPCC’s Dent Dinner Fundraiser 

Because you are the wisest you’ve ever been and the youngest you’ll ever be.