The Eternal Now
Don’t you love it when you finally find a use for some of the stuff you learned in school?
We liberal arts majors at St. Louis University, a Jesuit school, had to minor in philosophy, and most of those 18 hours of theoretic thinking buzzed right by me. Yet here I am, reveling in my recent illumination of a new way to understand time, that favorite subject of philosophers. For I’ve realized that I am a denizen of The Eternal Now.
Think of The Eternal Now as a time zone that works like a really big purse: You can put everything you want into it, and there’s always room for more. The capacity of The Eternal Now expands endlessly, no matter what you’re doing or how much more you add to your program —until you look at the clock.
Then panic ensues, for you may find your Now is finished before you ever got around to your original purpose. Avoid that sorry state simply by turning your back to clocks — or their backs to you.
The Eternal Now is a good zone to live in as we enter the busiest weeks of the year. For no other time zone — even vacation time — is capable of stretching far, long and wide enough to accommodate all you want to do these days.
On the busiest day of the busiest week, this Saturday, December 7, I’m cramming a dozen stops into the elastic expansiveness of my Eternal Now.
I promise to begin the day at the gym because we’ve got to skip the Jingle Bell Runs, both in Solomons and Annapolis.
From there it’s my winter citrus pickup from the Lothian Ruritans, just a few miles north of my house at Lothian Middle School. Afterward, I’ll have time to stop by the Bulldawg Holiday Bazaar at Southern High School and the London Towne Craft Show before I dash up to Annapolis for some holiday party preparation. Out of the salon, I’ll rush to Eastport Gallery’s Holiday Group Show and SoFo Holiday Festivities at the Village Green Shops at South Cherry Grove.
Even in The Eternal Now, keeping up with December 7’s variety takes speed. So I’ll have to forego all the greens crafts I’d love to spend hours doing at American Chestnut Land Trust, Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, Jug Bay and Willow Oak Flower and Herb Farm.
Next it’s speeding — but within the legal limit — down to North Beach for the town’s fabulous Christmas Parade. Alas, I’ll be watching — and just the last half — rather than parading this year, which means missing half the fun. But even half is very good.
Then it’s over to the Christmas Open House at Artworks@7th, where both art and refreshments — created by artist Julia Musengo — are high quality. Next begins my annual open house tour of Calvert antique shops at Nice & Fleazy and Chesapeake Antiques.
Heading south, I’ll visit my animal and human friends at the Calvert Animal Welfare League Holiday Open House before dashing into the Calvert Historical Society Open House at Linden for a spot of history. Then it’s into CalvART for a spell of shopping at the Small Works Holiday Show.
You work up an appetite living in The Eternal Now, so it’s lucky for me Trinity United Methodist Church’s 49th annual oyster and ham dinner lasts all afternoon.
Blissfully full, I’ll have to head back north — no Lusby Christmas tree lighting for me this year, alas, and no tea at Historic London Town. I’ve got a big dinner date in D.C. at 6:30. Still, I’ve got time to drop by Medart Gallery’s open house in Dunkirk to hear Bill Resnick while meeting artists Paul McGehee — A Virginia Bay lover who does wonderful paintings and drawings of familiar people and places — and Calvert County’s Robert Fiacco, who’ll be showing lots of new oils on canvas, including his specialty, naval aviation and lighthouses.
Friendship is right on my way home, so I’ll get to poke my head into Friendship Antiques and Vintage Collectibles’ Open House. Of course I’ll dart across the street for a quick browse in one of my favorite neighborhood places, The Magnolia Shoppe.
Sunday, December 8 is almost as full, so it’s a good thing The Eternal Now starts anew every morning, noon and night. Among other things, I’m looking forward on Sunday to making my first visit to Bayside History Museum’s new home to see what curator Grace Mary Brady tells me is its “vastly expanded collection.”
Then comes a whole wonderful new week of holiday opportunities. You’ll fit it all in if you join me in The Eternal Now. Chart your timeless path long-range in Bay Weekly’s Season’s Bounty and a week at a time in 8 Days a Week.
Sandra Olivetti Martin
Editor and publisher; [email protected]