3. The Runaway Train
When I think back on what happened to me since I've turned twenty-one, all I can think of is I've gotten married; I had a kid; I went to work; and now I'm writing this article. And it all happened in the blink of an eye. Obviously a slight exaggeration, but not so much; once you get past twenty-one (or perhaps graduate from college), time is all downhill. It feels like my daughter was just born yesterday; she's halfway to six. At this rate she'll be eighteen tomorrow and I'll be fifty-two. Excuse me while I go have a quick shot of Jameson to cope with that. A large part of this though is because (hopefully) your life is very busy and filled with activity, which is not a bad thing...however, the inherent danger in that as well is to forget to take time to appreciate the small moments. The first time your child smiles. Or walks. That family vacation that seems like hell at the time which years later, you realize was one of the best times of your life. Star Trek: Generations has its flaws, but the one part of it I did enjoy was the underlying theme of there being more years behind us than ahead of us, and how we deal with that. At the end, Picard says a line that always resonated with me: "Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment...because it'll never come again." Apropos. However, the predator is very real as well.