I Keep Pretending I Need More Time

Dear Delyara, Sometimes I do need more time. That is true. But there are also times when “more time” is just fear in a respectable outfit. More time before I ask. More time before I submit. More time before I begin. More time before I say the thing out loud and make it real enough to be judged or ignored or revealed to be ordinary. I hide there more than I want to admit. Time is a beautiful hiding place because it sounds wise. Responsible. Thoughtful. Nobody argues with someone who says they’re “still working on it.” But I know the truth too often. A lot of what I call timing is fear trying to protect itself from visible disappointment. And that protection is costing me more than failure might.