The Check Up

Everyone has all the time there is; why don’t we use it?

Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived.

~Captain Jean-Luc Picard,”Star Trek: Generations

I was there in the waiting room a long time with no word on how she was doing.  We had been through a lot lately with trips to Halifax and PEI and back and forth from Fredericton every week, and we were there in Saint John because, in the past while, she seemed a little sluggish and I wanted to have her checked out.  We haven’t had her usual check-up for a while, so I was hoping that we hadn’t let it go too long. The more I sat there waiting, the more nervous I was getting. I kept making up scenarios about all kinds of conditions that she may have had.  I’d get up and pace around the room a little, I’d talk to the other people who were there to take my mind off of my worries, and to help alleviate their nervousness as well.

After about forty-five minutes, a guy in a white coat came out with a clipboard in his hand and a serious look on his face.  He came in the waiting room, looked around at the people and then zeroed in on me.  “Mr. Kearley, may I see you outside please, I have some news for you.”  My throat got a little tight, and a butterfly started flapping its wings in my stomach as I rose from my chair and followed him out into the hallway.

“Have you been noticing anything unusual about her lately?  Like does she rattle when you go over rough roads? Is she taking longer to stop when you depress the brake pedal?  Is she rough getting going in the mornings?”

“Yes, yes, all of that.  I’ve been putting a lot of miles on her lately. What’s wrong with her?” I pleaded.

“Well, the brakes need to be replaced, the bearings in the front wheels need replacing, the air filter is plugged and your gas filter has just about had it.  Weren’t you in here about two months ago for a checkup?  And didn’t we tell you that unless you had some work done on your brakes it would be much more expensive next time?”

“Yes, I remember,” I sheepishly replied.  “I didn’t have time to get them done then, and I just forgot about it till now.”

“That’s too bad Mr. Kearley” he said, “We could have saved you some money and some time, because unless you get them fixed, they will be completely gone in a little while”.

Why is it that we have all the time there is, yet we never seem to have enough?  I was going through some older photos this weekend and I was reminded by photos of when my son Alex graduate from High School.  I remember sitting there in my chair and watching him walk across the stage to get his diploma, my mind did a fast rewind, and I watched his life played out in my minds eye.  From the day he was born when I nearly fainted in the delivery room and the nurses were more concerned about me than him, to the baseball tournaments, to the soccer games, to the basketball and volleyball games to his incredible academic achievements, it all flashed by.  We had done so much together, yet there was so much that, if given the time over again I would do differently. 

For a few moments, I just sat there, full of regret for the things that may have been, and started to mentally beat myself up for my neglect.  What had I been doing all of those years as he had been growing? Then I thought, I had been there for his games, I had helped him with his school projects, and I had protected him from the clowns from whom he was terrified, I had taken him driving, I had spent many hours with him on the golf course and I had read to him to get him to fall asleep.  As I sat there, I came to the conclusion that actually, all mistakes aside, my wife and I had done a pretty good job.

Isn’t it true that our lives are very much like that.  If we fail to have monthly or scheduled checkups, and we ignore the signals that something is just not right, then things can go very wrong right under our noses and it could end up being very costly.  If we neglect the people who are important to us and put off spending time with them, before we know it, something will break down in the relationship.  It could show up as a change in communications, or it could even be more subtle than that, like poor grades in school or a bad choice in friends.  If we neglect to take care of our bodies, then it shows up in our fitness levels or more drastically in our health… or lack of it. 

Whatever the area of life, our personal or professional relationships, our health, our physical fitness, our spirituality or even our financial abilities, if they are not regularly tuned up and kept in good working order, sooner or later you may find yourself sitting in a hospital or sitting on a bench in the street asking “What happened?”.

This week, please remember that time can be your best friend or your worst enemy.  You can look back with regret and say I should have, or you can look back with joy and say I’m glad I did, but that decision is completely up to you.  But it is a choice that you must make.  If you don’t, you can be absolutely sure that someone or something else will choose for you, and you may not like their choices.  As Rob, my son in law says, “No excuses.”

Make an Impact!

Paul

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Paul Kearley is a professional leadership, communications and sales coach for businesspeople who are taking command of their career and making an impact. He has worked as a business coach and trainer, Virtual Trainer, and speaker since 1985.

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