There are some people who manage to make the most of every minute of their day, who at night, as they peel back their duvet and climb into their welcoming den of slumber, feel the satisfaction of another day well spent.

I am not one of those people.

Nope, no sir, no way not me. I am of the much more irritating, piteous set who stumble into bed late at night after a day at work (and let’s face it not much else) mourning the loss of another day with nothing to show for it.

I have always been envious of that admirable set of time users, the ones who mean it when they say carpe diem, the ones who squeeze every last drop out of each minute.

And I saw one of them this morning on the bus. An unique specimen.

As I made my way up the stairs to the top deck of the bus, hoping with all my might that my usual seat was free, I noticed her with her raven black hair scarpered into the highest, bounciest pony tale. She was by no means beautiful, but you did stop and stare because she was different set against a sea of sleepy commuters, all snoozing or listening to their ipods or reading

Within a couple of minutes of me sitting down and making myself comfortable (someone else got to my seat first – grrr), she was scrabbling about in her modestly sized handbag. She fished out a small Tupperware box and opened it to reveal piping hot porridge with sultanas. She yummed it up in no time at all. Then she scrabbled around some more in her bag and whipped out a thermos of milky coffee. She supped her coffee and looked pensively out of the window. That finished she decided to get a few chapters of her book read, and then at twenty to nine, she glanced at her watch and got her make up bag out.

Throughout the journey I’d noticed how some people watched her with looks of distaste, and incredulity and at first I had fleetingly wondered just who she was to be able to do all of this stuff on a moving bus.

But by the time I got off the bus she was made up, looking fresh as a daisy and practically skipping off the bus after her energy-packed breakfast on the go. While the rest of us were a little worn around the edges.

And I was green with envy.

Now…if only I could work out how to make the most of my time…how to be one of those minute milkers…I’d be the mutt’s nuts!

|