Very few of us can resist sweetness. I remember listening to a childhood calypso in which the calypsonian belted the words “sweetness is my weakness”. As children we were generally given sweet tasting snacks and drinks as an easy meal or means of stopping further crying or pouting.

I was quietly reflecting on the reality of time and the changes that mark the passage of time in our lives. Do you know that even though we live several decades it is still just a brief moment along the path of time. For example, I am remembering all the years I was honoured to have my mother around but those years are gone. Mommy is in heaven but I remain on earth. Time marches on.

Indeed, life goes on.

Earlier today I was listening to cable television and heard of an event which happened thirty years ago. Now thirty years seem like a long time, but for those of us who would have been around we remember the 1980s as though they were yesterday.

I suppose it is the beginning of a new year that makes my analysis of time particularly important at this point in time. 2012. Hmmm. It seems like just the other day my classmates and I were looking forward to graduation from secondary or high school. That was 1992. Wow, so that would mean it has been twenty years since our graduation. My, how time does fly! But I don’t think too many of us would proclaim that we were having fun over the last two decades though.

So what does all this time sensitivity have to do with the title of this post? I will say that it is only as we analyse time we can appreciate how our lives have been shaped along the way. Looking back over the years lets us recognize what our lives have been shaped into. Have we achieved those youthful goals that we set so many moons ago?

I can speak only for myself to say that my existence in this life has come some distance. However, there are ways still to go; I was one of those late bloomers who would not have set early specific life goals. From wanting to be a banker, a radio announcer, a preacher and a writer to being an educator today, it seems that some goals were never materialized. Many, in fact. But I don’t take it too hard because I never really wanted to just grow up, have a family, house and land and work all my years to repay one mortgage for one property until death do us part.   I cannot just live in adulthood conformity to the socio-economic norms. I should not just work for money–money should work for me. Definitely.

And, by the way, let me be absolutely clear: I do want a family but it has to be a workable situation like every other attainable goal in life.

My point is that it seems to me that there are some side attractions along life’s road that are meant to detour me from achieving those inner dreams. Everybody has their detractors and side attractions I guess. Those side attractions look tempting like sweets in a store to a young child. But when you finally get those side attractions and bite into them you realize that beyond the showy camouflage of a sugary crust there is nothing of substance or value on the inside.

I find while on the good path over the years, even with good intentions, I stopped or diverted to eat the sugar-coated side attractions only to find that there is nothing of worth or meaningful help beyond an outward appeal of beauty.

I am pretty sure each of my readers can right now look back to times in their own decision-making when they turned to candies of sugar-coated emptiness. Such side attractions only have delayed personal progress and timely self actualization. We have had relationships gone bad, neglected income opportunities and marginal successes.

But it is good to identify one’s sugar-coated emptiness side attractions. They attempt to keep one from one’s earthly purpose for being alive. What are your side attractions of sugar-coated emptiness?

You know what, man is on earth to be in power over everything else on the earth. It is never too late to become the person one was meant to be. The way I see it is like this: side attractions of sugar-coated emptiness will always be lurking around but our time on earth is very limited. Each person’s life is really a clock counting down to departure-from-earth time. If you don’t believe me, just put your right hand over your left breast/chest. You won’t hear that forever.

While it is stupid to turn aside to sugar-coated emptiness I believe it is far worse to end one’s earthly life continually trying to be satisfied by these sugar-coated emptiness side attractions. It is my decision to no longer look to the left or to the right. I invite you to join me and begin fashioning a future for yourself that is what you want it to be. Let us no longer remain paralyzed by the effects of sugar-coated emptiness and allow side attractions of the past to become our reality of the future.

I have found that man’s Creator never gives up on His children. You and I should never give up on ourselves either. The reason for each person’s birth into this world is always there to be fulfilled. And the fulfilment of that birth reason is never up to any other earthly person, it is only up to each of us. “If it is to be then it is up to me.” Hey, whatever you know your dreams are, keep patiently working and waiting for them to come to pass.

I am going to bring this post to an end. I have more to say but I realize this is possibly the longest post in a while. Maybe there will be a part two of “Sugar Coated Emptiness”.