Time: The Real Diva

I don’t think we ever really appreciate the importance of time until we run out of it. I suppose nothing puts life into perspective quite like knowing you’ve missed out on an opportunity and/or lost the chance to make something truly worthwhile and special.

Recently, I’ve been reminded of how precious time is — how it’s not just about making sure you have enough of it, but that you spend it wisely, too. Make moves that will prosper and uplift yourself, as well as those around you.

This week has been tough — probably one of the hardest I’ve had in a while. After taking JP to the airport Wednesday, I instantly had to readjust to doing life on my own (to a certain extent). Aside from the daily phone calls, FaceTime dates and consistent texts, I’m still without my best friend.

For a while, I had protested knowing the exact date of his departure, and, consequently, when the time finally came, I wasn’t prepared. Not that there would ever be enough time with him, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I could have made those remaining moments more meaningful. Either way, it doesn’t help to think about what could’ve been.

After a few nights of binge-watching Netflix, I knew I needed a break from the doldrums I had camped out in. I spent Saturday having lunch and walking though the Pow Wow murals in Kaka‘ako with a girlfriend of mine. I needed the walk more than I had realized. It wasn’t just a literal breath of fresh air, but a chance to clear my head. It’s hard to be negative when beauty surrounds you. I had forgotten how much I loved to explore and learn.

Every year, I feel like I’m left speechless by the artwork at Pow Wow — an annual art fest that gathers a collection of artists from across the globe to adorn sectioned spaces (walls, sides of buildings, etc.) throughout Kaka‘ako — and this year was no exception.

There were bleeding flowers drooping with pastel colors, and Darth Vader’s infamous mask, which was transformed into a space-fueled, futuristic treehouse that was equipped with a sustainable garden, skateboard ramp and a twinkling shave-ice star to lead viewers into The Light. We passed orbs of orange- and yellow-scaled patterns, encountered Medusa-like figures spewing hearts encased in bubbles, and even traced the outline of a skeletal x-ray of a shaka — Hawai‘i's Iconic symbol of aloha.

I think it’s essential to carve out time for such adventures, especially the ones that make you stop and think. All I have now is time. I count the days and seconds until I’m reunited with JP. At one point, time couldn’t slow down, and now, it’s as if everything is moving in slow motion. In the mean time, spending more Saturdays like this past one will help to make this waiting period a little more bearable.