Day 2 - It Only Hurts Every Time

-
There was a loud crack near me. It sounded somewhat distant, but that was deceiving. You see at some time in the last month or so, I actually got to see time catching up with me. Time was this translucent wall of waviness, like a sheet of heated air compressed and moving with its own intent.

Time thought I wasn't watching but I was.

I attempted to do my 45th low squat at the urgings of a sadistically polite digital trainer. As the proxy trainer encouraged me to put my ass lower to the ground like some form of hideous wobbly crab man, I looked to my left and observed. Time washed over me with an unpleasant warmth, the world went sideways for a second and I saw myself from above.

Apparently, the cinematographer of my life had picked just that moment to adjust perspectives. Instead of the tight "POV" lens I usually experienced my world through, I was suddenly looking down from a crane shot, the lighting muted by a Vaseline effect.

The man I saw looked nothing like me. He was round and soft. He seemed to be struggling and grunting with far more effort than it took to bend both knees and then stand up. His brow was covered with sweat and he seemed flushed deep red as his legs trembled from the effort.

A second later and the view seemed to change again. The old familiar screen crop returned and with it I got some perspective. I realized that amorphous blob I'd just seen - despite not matching my mental image - was actually me, or at least the old fat actor who had taken over my role when my life had been renewed for it's current season.

Time has a wry sense of humor it seems. I'm not ready to be an old fat man yet. I was determined to change that and for the next three days, Time continued to remind me that old people don't recover quickly from strenuous exercise...

I haven't seen Time since that day, but it's there, watching, laughing and waiting. They say time waits for no one, but the truth is it waits for us all. Time waits for the opportunity to show us that we aren't who we thought we were yesterday and we won't be who we are today when we get to tomorrow.

I'm not so sure I like Time all that much.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Brekton: Godfall Ascension - Character Concepts and Skills

-
Image
Today's post is a result of my ongoing discussion on game design and adapting your chosen system to fit your ideal setting. It'll get a little mechanical but I'll try and keep it out of the weeds for those who don't want to grok the mechanics of character advancement in the d20-ish systems. First off... lets talk about choices. Choices are the most important thing in my games. Sure there are these messy rules that limit what you or I can do in a simulated world, but ultimately for me to enjoy a game as either a storyteller or a player I have to feel like the results of the situation are based upon choice not fate. When I've most enjoyed games, especially tabletop role-playing games, I think back and realize that it was my sense of connection, ownership and agency that most contributed to maximizing the impact of the game. I resonate when I get to make a decision and see the outcome. This, I guess, is also true in life.
Read more

On Leading and Adaptability

-
Image
Leading is hard. I don't know many people who have had responsibility and accountability for coordinating and achieving important things who would question that "duh" statement. I've spent a lot of years following and learning to lead.  I've had a series of pretty challenging weeks and months in my current professional life. My role and my understanding of it has continued to evolve and when I take a step back and think about what I am doing versus what I should be doing I find a gap. Transitioning from the "smart guy who knows things" to the "smart guy who leads" is not an easy transition for me. I've spent a lot of time doing a pretty good job motivating others to help achieve some outcome or another.. but I know that I've got a lot of room to grow as a leader. I'm also failing far too often at detachment. The trait of leadership that allows us to get above the fray, see the facts absent of our emotional bias and response. In cris
Read more

Brekton: Godfall Ascension - Momentous Attributes

-
Image
Discussing game mechanics with those who don't play or run games is always a challenge. The goal is to explain how the rules work to enable the player to feel the progression and evolution of their characters while also maintaining some level of "fairness" and symmetry with the systems, math and capabilities of the obstacles and environment around them.
Read more