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Publisher’s column: Time flies — unless you are remodeling

Michael Bennett
Mike Bennett
Staff Photo |

Doesn’t it seem like yesterday when we were celebrating New Year’s 2015? And now it is December, with New Year’s 2016 less than a month away. If you are at least 25, I guess you are like me and wonder where the time went.

In the newspaper biz, every day is a deadline and we constantly fight those deadlines, as time seems to mysteriously slip away and yet we aren’t quite finished with our assignment.

The passage of time has always been a fascination for me. Years ago at the age of 5, we were celebrating my dad’s birthday. Even at that young age time was on my mind. With concern, I asked my dad how much time he had left. He responded quickly, “I’ve got plenty of time!”



For years on his birthday, Dad would ask me, “Aren’t you going to ask me how much time I have left?” I would oblige, and he would always respond with the same stock answer — until he turned 70. When I asked the question on that day, he responded quickly “not much!”

In reality he had another 16 years. Dad passed away eight years ago, although it seems like yesterday, and my fond memories linger as I continue to miss him.



My daughter just gave birth to twin boys, at least it seems that way, but no, that was three months ago. They will be calling me “Pop Pop” in no time flat.

Remember when summer vacation seemed like a pleasing eternity? Now the summer lasts about a week while a year feels like about three months. My guess is that as we accumulate more years and experience with life, a summer isn’t very long when you have more than 60 summers under your belt. When you are a 7-year-old kid it is a whole different story, as you have only begun the times of your life.

Do you ever remember saying “I can’t wait until school is over?” I used to have those thoughts. I’ve learned to embrace life and never to wish your life away.

I’m thinking about “retiring” to a position with a little less responsibility in three years. As time swiftly moves forward, I realize I best savor every moment I have at this job I truly love. When it’s gone, it’s gone. And while that will bring a new, less stressful chapter to my life, it will also bring an end to the quick-paced variety of work I’ve enjoyed so much over the last 42 years. Can it really have been 42 years?

We at the PI are experiencing an exception to my theory. If you have been to our downtown headquarters over the last month plus, you would have seen a real mess as we are in the throes of remodeling. Our staff has been scattered throughout the valley as they all seek out a workplace far from the dust and noise of the PI office. It seems like this job will never be completed.

I’ve never been involved with this kind of work in my past. The contractor provides a plan and a schedule and then is at the mercy of the subcontractors.

And here I thought the rest of the world was like us — if we miss deadline, it doesn’t happen. It isn’t that contractors don’t have good intentions; I think some just aim to please and provide deadlines they think you want to hear and know they cannot keep.

If all goes well, all will be completed by the end of this week, just two weeks behind schedule. The place is shaping up, and in a blink of an eye we will wonder how it could how it could really have been five years ago that we did this remodel? Who chose those colors?

Michael Bennett is publisher of the Post Independent.


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