The Blurb

C. S. Lewis spoke of the present as the point of intersection of two circles—time and opportunity. While God has freedom to explore any part of either circle, humans are bound in the junction. Whether he is right or even completely comprehensible, I can't tell, but I do know I'm bound in the present.

It's just that my present isn't what I wanted it to be. I had great plans. With no classes on Tuesday or Thursday, I was going to be able to get a good job and have plenty of free time to engage in extracurricular pursuits. Until I got my job, I would use my time to get ahead in my projects so that by the end of the semester I would have plenty of time to submerse myself in the current of activity that follows Spring Break. The future shone brighter than Jason's new paisley tie. And that's bright.

As the wheel of time turned, however, I began to pay increasing attention to the present and forgot the future. The job never materialized. Projects were pushed off. I was having a great time and staying busy with worthwhile causes, but I failed to navigate the course I had mapped.

Which brings us up to date. A profusion of projects has me bound too tightly to roll with the opportunities that present themselves as I had intended. Rather than skipping along through the spring schedule, I feel as if I'm reeling along, drunk with sleep deprivation caused by my own procrastination.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that I just completed my schedule for next semester, and I again have classless Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with an even lighter class load. So if I can remember the lessons learned this semester and look forward to the Christmas festivities at the end of the semester, I should be able to enjoy and capitalize on the present.

Until then, don't be offended if I bump into you in the hall and then shuffle past with a blank stare—it's a passing phase.