Time had always kind-of resented her parents for giving her that particular name. Not only because kids at school had an easy time picking on her - "Hey look, it's potty-Time!" and "Can I be a Time Traveler? It won't hurt, I promise!" - but also because it gave her teachers ample fuel for calling on her - "Given your name, you must have thought about the impact on Time and xyz." Umm no, she hadn't actually. She tried not to think about it whenever possible.
In college Time started introducing herself as Ty. It saved her the pain of having to explain her name, and the inevitable "clever" jokes afterward. Under that guise she was finally able to really think about her name and its influence upon the world, and even herself. She began to wonder if her parents hadn't been on to something as she learned the true value of Carpe Diem and understood why people might want to travel back in Time to change things. Time slowly changed, and began to see herself differently. The more she reflected on her name, the more she cherished her parents, as she knew that her time with them may be limited.
She asked her father why they named her what they did and he said, "We were young, but just realizing our mortality. We hoped that you would learn to value every day and live your life to its fullest. Your name was also a reminder to us to value every moment we had with you as a child. It worked, and we hope that someday it will remind you of the same." Time determined that she would do her best to live up to her parents' hope, and once again began introducing herself with her full name. For those who would listen, she would tell her father's story. For those who made jokes, she took a moment to cherish their joy, for that was a happy moment in their time on Earth.
This month I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge! My theme for the month is ‘character development.’ Some days will be exercises from John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction, others will be profiles of characters from my book Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, and some will just be random characters I make up. I hope you enjoy!
