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making a paper chain

May 30, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 14 Comments

photo courtesy of morgueFile

The old ladies were right, as old ladies often are.

They crocheted and drank Folgers throughout the afternoon while lamenting the passage of time as though this was a bad thing.
For me, time crawled. Days blended together imperceptibly, a string of sameness.
I was forever counting down to something—Christmas Eve, minutes until the bell rang, my next birthday when life would be exciting and different by the mere advancement of age. Twelve would be better than eleven… It had to be. Wasn’t that how life worked?
Did the simple process of counting down, stop time? Like Nana always said, a watched pot never boils… Even so, my sister and I tracked slow-motion days with hand-made, multi-colored construction paper chains sticky with Elmer’s glue. Elmer’s glue was an important part of the fun.
With each broken link, we celebrated. One link, one day…until finally the special day arrived. And then z-o-o-o-o-m, it was over. Just like that. With no need for a chain, lake days sped by, Christmas break ended in a flash.

Maybe it was the chain that slowed things.

Maybe we all better start making paper chains. 

talya
“Time is a game played beautifully by children.” 
― Heraclitus, Fragments

Musical Pairing:

No Time, The Guess Who

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: childhood

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Comments

  1. Lana88 says

    May 30, 2013 at 5:22 am

    Time does go by so terribly fast nowadays. I’d better get myself some paper chain supplies and starting linking!!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 30, 2013 at 8:15 am

      🙂 Thanks for liking my facebook page!

      Reply
  2. Michelle Liew says

    May 30, 2013 at 6:47 am

    It really is a symbol for cherishing and remembering the moment. Ode to the chain, Tayla!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 30, 2013 at 8:15 am

      Thanks Michelle!

      Reply
  3. Renae of Simple Sequins says

    May 30, 2013 at 7:35 am

    Awh, thanks for the follow! *big smile on my face*

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 30, 2013 at 8:15 am

      You are welcome! Same to you:))

      Reply
  4. Corinne Rodrigues says

    May 30, 2013 at 8:19 am

    Wow, I’ve never heard of paper chains to do this, Talya. What a wonderful idea for children – and for us adults too!

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 30, 2013 at 11:10 am

      Corinne, my sister and I made really long ones, especially in December counting down til Christmas. We draped them along the wall in our bedroom and took turns tearing off links each day.

      Reply
  5. Tim Hardin says

    May 30, 2013 at 11:23 am

    Very cool, Talya. I enjoyed reading this, very much. Life does fly by, except for those slow times such as sitting in those boring classrooms. It’s funny how much we forget the boring times and only remember the fun times that always pass too fast. For me, I hope in my olden golden days to have a lot of great memories to think back on.=)

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 30, 2013 at 6:19 pm

      You will. I will remind you.

      Reply
  6. Joyce Lansky says

    May 30, 2013 at 5:23 pm

    We used to make paper chains but never as a countdown–just for fun.

    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • Talya Tate Boerner says

      May 30, 2013 at 6:19 pm

      We probably made them just for fun too. But mainly we made them to countdown to Christmas and Halloween:)

      Reply
  7. Bryan Jones says

    May 31, 2013 at 1:47 pm

    the ties that bind! Very Good!

    Reply
  8. Dorothy Latimer Johnson says

    June 1, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    The days fly off my calendar now that I am in my 60th decade. I don’t want to waste one day, but, alack and alas, I still do sometimes. Maybe I’ll take up paper chains again, too.

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

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