As my 50th birthday storms toward me, reflection on my historical relationship with time reveals Borderline Personality traits; I had a knack for pushing time away, and crying when I felt it abandoned me. Because I demand a certain amount of control in my relationships, and time is reluctant to be controlled, we often grappled. Time went undefeated. Conversations with other people, both personally and professionally, have taught me this relationship style with time is common. Many people seem to wish time away, then wonder where it has gone. Death denial is an adaptive defense mechanism we use to shield us from morbid preoccupation with mortality, but there comes a point when…
