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Long Days, Short Years, Early Fall Picks & Fresh Inspo
Published 3 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
Long Days, Short Years, Early Fall Picks & Fresh Inspo
Plus, why quitting > starting
by Brock McGoff
Today, I have for you a brief reflection on the elastic nature of time and (allegedly) fleeting days of early parenthood.
You know, nothing too heavy.
Then, some fall inspo for ya down below!
π΄πΌ "The days are long, but the years are short."
After you become a parent, you spend a lot of time walking your baby around in a stroller.
Usually just around your neighborhood, but sometimes through a store, trying to knock out some random to-do list items (got a lightbulb that needs replacing...).
Without fail, older people see you and implore you to savor every precious moment with your little bundle of joy.
60+ year old women when they see me solo running Target with 2 girls under 4 years old (not gonna lie, I like the attention)
Apparently, you just blink your eyes, and your newborn is packing off to college.
"The days are long, but the years are short."
I've heard that platitude, or some version of it, somany times in the last 3.5 years.
Live, laugh, love π«Άπ»
The first time, I thought it was wise. Motivating, even.
But it gradually became sort of...annoying.
Thing is: we all know that time is precious. Whether or not you have kids, you'll look back and wonder where the time went. You'll want the years back.
When you look in the mirror at age 40
We know we're supposed to live in the moment, soak up every ounce of life, and really try to internalize the fleeting nature of existence.
But it's almost impossible to actually do that, even on the best of days.
On bad days, when you're knee deep in the baby/toddler trenches, just trying to survive without developing early onset dementia, it's nearly impossible to savor the moment.
Most of the moments are just tedious. It's "high stakes boredom" as one mom friend put it.
It really do be like this
And yeah, the slog is punctuated by incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that only parents will understand, like when your 2-year-old says "I love you" for the first time, out of the blue.
But these special moments are often few and far between, and they're quickly buried by struggle.
So, when a 70-year-old who has completely forgotten what it actually feels like to be woken up by a crying baby every night for two years beseeches me to enjoy each day because "the years are short", they're only making me feel guilty for not being able to.
I know they mean well, and I know they're right. It's just not what early parents need to hear.
When I'm a old man, ambling around Home Depot at 11a on a Tuesday, and I see some burnt out mom or dad with a fussy baby or melting down toddler in the back of their cart, I'm going to say:
"It's really hard. You're doing great. You'll get through this...
Got any video ideas for me? Hit 'reply' and share them!
β βDid you know? On jeans and trousers, the button fly was standard for nearly 100 years before the "more modern" zipper fly was invented and popularized, mostly by Levi's and Esquire Magazine. Nowadays, a button fly is usually found on higher end denim and it indicates better craftsmanship.
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Helping guys look good, live well, and skip the BS
I help guys create homes, habits, and wardrobes they actually enjoy. Get my weekly newsletter for practical tips, tested recommendations, and the occasional dad joke.
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