The Passage of Time

So I watched a little bit of "The Masked Singer" on Hulu this evening. It's not something I usually watch; normally I steer clear of these reality performance shows, as they tend to just be ridiculously over the top. Basically ornate pieces of irrelevant fluff. But I saw on Facebook the other day about the "legend" who was unmasked on their Season 9 premiere. First of all - Season 9? I can't believe this show has survived this long. But anyways...it was the one and only, the iconic, Dick Van Dyke! 

So I kind of had to watch, just to see and hear this remarkable symbol of my generation, of multiple generations I suppose. Someone like that kind of transcends a few generations, when you think about it.

It's unbelievable that he's still going strong, after all of these years in the entertainment business. I remember him most fondly, as a true Disney should, from the beloved movie Mary Poppins. And he even sang a snippet of Supercalifragilisticexpyaladocius at the end, after he was unmasked to the amazement and delight of both judges and audience. No idea if I spelled that song right. And I'm too lazy to look it up. He did mess up a bit on that though, stumbling on some words at the end of phrases, and falling helplessly behind in the tempo. But can you blame him? He's 97! And he can still dance...a little. A little, at his age, is really a lot. I mean honestly, he's showing his age, but for 97 he's remarkably spritely. I can only hope I'm still that able at that age. Heck, I can only hope that I'm still breathing by then. Just that would be remarkable. That would be the year 2072. Still seems a long way off.

It's amazing when you look back and think about how much time has passed in life. I stopped by Del Taco on the way to work the other day for some breakfast burritos. I've been doing that for awhile now. And the same lady is there, taking orders. It must have been 15 years ago or so, back in the days when I rode the bus into work. I'd spend time reading, doing homework for my masters program, or just watching the world fly by from my seat on the number 30. This was long before Connor. They were relaxing times, when it still seemed like all I had was time to burn. But I'd often get off at the Alhambra stop, dash across the street to Del Taco and place my order. And after a few times of doing this, the lady would recognize me when I came in, and would know my order without me having to place it. 

I was a regular! Like Norm on Cheers. No one called out my name when I entered the room though. No one would have known my name, really. Most of the clientele in there on those brisk mornings were older bedraggled homeless guys, or people working on transitioning to or from being homeless. Everyone is transitioning, from one thing to another. They'd pan handle out on the street for nickels or dimes or quarters, and eventually get enough for a cup of coffee. They still do, though it's a whole new group of individuals now.  

Of course these days I do the drive through; no time in life to take the leisurely one-hour bus trek into work from North Natomas. But she's still there, the lady behind the counter, after all these years. And I see the flicker of recognition in her smile as she greets me at the window. 15 years later! Still going strong. They really should have made her manager by now.

I don't even know her name.

And of course I've been at Sac State for far longer than that. And I've been fantasizing for years about eventually retiring and finally taking my leave from the grueling routine of trudging in to work each day. It's certainly much closer these days, in my 24th year on staff. Gets closer every day. And the kids - I call the college students "kids" now, that's how old I am - get younger and younger every year, it seems. They were my contemporaries, back in the day, when I was a bright-eyed young staff member full of ambition and ideas. Now I'm so far removed from their generation, just like the old timers on faculty were when I was a student there.

Time just keeps marching on and on, whether we like it or not. It's on its own pace, has its own agenda. We're just along for the ride, really. And it's been quite a ride, so far. So many days and months and years have just nonchalantly ticked by. You hardly notice as it's happening. Only in reflection does it gain status as something more monumental and meaningful. And time just keeps moving on.