Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Irreverin

Home
Progressive Christian
Ticking Clock and Turning Tide

Ticking Clock and Turning Tide

Last updated on: June 1, 2016 at 1:17 pm by Erin Wathen

Ticking Clock and Turning Tide 2016-06-01T13:17:28-07:00 Erin Wathen

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We are not theme park people. We are National Park people.

We are beach people. We are long-roadtrip-to-visit-friends people. We are mountain people. But we are not Mouse people, Princess people, or long line people.

So it’s a mystery to me, why I was recently overcome with the overwhelming urge to take my kids to Disneyland. I think I felt some magic window closing… I know that older kids can still get excited, and still have a great time. But there is an age at which they move past the capacity for a certain kind of little kid joy; when they are utterly “wowed” by the fireworks, no longer impressed or moved to gleeful squeals to see their favorite character pass by.

Let’s face it– there is a moment at which that character becomes a creepy dude in a cowboy suit, a college girl in a tiara. And I know that moment is coming–with every growth spurt, every new surge in vocabulary, every glimpse of their emerging independence, I see it coming.

I am not one to weep and wail about “how fast they grow,” and “why can’t they just stay little??” and “you’ve got to enjoy every moment!” In every one of those sentiments I hear a gentle shaming, and a crushing scarcity of time. Of course I don’t want them to stay little forever. I refuse to be sad that they are getting bigger, smarter and more self-sufficient, as nature and the good Lord intended.

But in recognition of that quickly closing window, I will go to Disneyland. Maybe just this once.

So blame my December Santa crisis, but May found us queuing up with 40,000 of our closest friends…to fight through 30-minute lines for 30-second rides. To pay $20 for a sandwich. To touch unspeakably germy surfaces and endure the tantrums of other people’s children.

But no, really, it was magical. Mostly.

Even if my mind was constantly racing with blog posts: Disney and white privilege; Disney and extreme gender typing; Disney and the hetero-normative world, in spite of their gay-friendly work policies; Disney and body image issues; Disney and the narrative of American excess.

NO dammit, I’m on vacation.

This is what I know about the writing life–even the happiest place on earth is tainted with all that you *should* be writing about.

But this is what I know about vacation–the whole point is to escape that ticking clock. Whether it’s the ticking time clock of the work day, or the constant reminders that children are growing up quickly, vacation is an invitation to be in the moment in a way that we don’t often allow ourselves. Especially if we are parents. Or writers. Or pastors, or any other kind of working professional managing a daily rotation of demands on our time and mental energy.

For some people, Disneyland may be a perfectly okay place to find that alternate rhythm, that off-the-clock status. But for me, it was not that. Sure, it was fun–I’m glad we went, if only to see their faces lit up under the fireworks; to watch them straining on tiptoe to see the parade go by; or to experience Radiator Springs in real life. My little boy could not believe he got to DRIVE that race car, and that we WON. (His Route 66 nerd mama may have enjoyed it just as much).

But even the racing roadsters were not enough to stop the racing mind that keeps company with me the rest of the time. If anything, a crowded theme park invites its own kind of mental chaos. If we don’t get in line for this ride soon… If we don’t hurry we’ll miss… How much do we have to get “done” today to make the ticket price worthwhile?

You know the Croc? who swallowed the clock? and now follows Captain Hook around everywhere? I see him in a whole new light now.

Which is why Sunday found me at the beach. The coastal Episcopalians tried to lure me to worship with lovely chimes, but even that I heard as another tick-tick-tick… I ignored the invitation and instead matched my breath to the liturgy of waves. In that rise and fall I heard (again) that God’s rhythms are holy, and they don’t look like calendar blocks or ticking clocks. They roll like tides and turn like seasons. They move like kids growing exactly as they are supposed to. And sometimes they even rest.

From there I wandered to a used bookstore–my other church home–and meandered through rows of new releases, vintage genre paperbacks and the original (original!) works of Byron. In that backwards evolution of words, I heard not a scarcity of time, but the fullness of it.

I located the owner and asked him if they might have a Western Americana section. “Well,” he said… “Have you got all day?”

“You know what?” I said… “I actually kind of do.”

beachkids

progressive christianity

sabbath

spirituality

vacation

Previous Post

May 26, 2016

Bridging the Divide: Ministers Make a Difference for Transgender Youth

Next Post

June 2, 2016 The Small World of a #TrendingTopic: Gorillas and Other Big Things

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category a good week for progress Advent and Christmas Being a Person desert life faith and community Good News for Progressives Lent and Easter Marriage and Family S*^! Jesus Says sabbatical road tripping Spirituality in Culture Talking to Strangers the "Best Stuff I Ever Ate" diet travel Uncategorized writing Writing Prompt Wednesday

Select a Month January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 February 2011 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian group is known for their "Circuit Riders" in history?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Baptists Lutherans Anglicans Methodists