I wish I had more time

...to spend with friends, family, just in general people I like.

One of the things I like about this break from real life (ha!) called grad school, is that everyone has time. Time to do things, time to hang-out, go out, volunteer, be together, be stupid, has a common mission to save the world. (raises fist into the air.)

Okay, so I'm the only one who really believes the world can be changed, but still, my point is that when you hit a certain age, say 22-23, definitely by 24, your time starts to slip away. Your life is taken over by life. Life no longer consists of going out and being with friends, or at least not much past happy hour, it now consists of jobs, careers, weddings, babies, and being in bed around 10:30 to repeat it all again the next day. You know, the real world. Opposed to the one MTV presents of sex in hot tubs and going out and getting plastered every night while staying in a rent-free penthouse suite. Sure, that's just a Wednesday night for me, but I realize this is not the case for most people.

But I digress. (You know, something new and different.)

The fact that my fellow public policiers not only want to, but also have the time to go out, time to give on a Saturday to a cause, well, that's awesome and it also makes me sad. Sad, because they are 23 years old and have no idea. No idea that all of that free time will be going away. That to be busy now isn't just a nuisance, but it will be their reality in another 10 months. More than half of the students in the program came to grad school to get away from the real world. Because, "...it sucked."
Um, okay.
Yeah, it does. Deal with it.
I don't have an extra 40 grand laying around to postpone the suckatude, but apparently they do....

Anyway, this summer I've had time. For the first time in a long while, I've had time to be with friends, go to movies, and just be. I stayed an extra week at the 'rents so I could try and be with friends back in home state, go out, and relive some old times while making some new times for just one more week.

Last night Billy and I hit the local brew pub for happy hour, then went to a local live music venue to enjoy six (some good, some bad) bands. We didn't plan to stay very long.
Famous last words.
We closed it down.
We laughed, remembered, talked of old and promised to make new times together. My dearest friend whom I've know since I was 19. The friend who knows my history because he was there with me when it happened. The person I am comfortable with, can be with, not feel judged, or misunderstood. That's an awesome feeling to have. When I told him I am guarded, he laughed. He doesn't know that side of me. In the end I am glad we had the time together we did, and that I had time with all of the friends, and former co-workers, because gosh, I had no idea how much I was missed and what kind of impact I had on people...but that's another day....
Time. We could all use a little more of it, no?