I’ve been thinking about investing in a rain barrel. We are currently in the fourth year of a drought and I’m concerned about irrigating my small kitchen garden. I have the perfect place to put a rain barrel – all that is needed is a little rain – so late last night I began an internet search for rain barrels, diverter and rain barrel stands. I think I’ve found several possibilities that will work. I also checked my household savings account and found the resources are available. That quest satisfied, I checked my email and found the first writing prompts for Writings 101 – a twenty-minute free write!

Perfect, I thought. Twenty minutes of writing time is a great way to start Monday. I gathered my writing materials, turned on the kitchen timer to twenty minutes, and with the soothing strains of Bach for Book Lovers in the background, began to write.

Wouldn’t it be great, I thought, if I could save time in twenty-minute blocks to use elsewhere whenever I needed it? There is an old love song from the late 70’s called Time in a Bottle. Hum. Wouldn’t it be better if we could save time in a barrel – at lest 50, maybe 65 gallon-sized barrels? Just think how that would change our perspectives on time.

If I were sitting at one of the numerous red lights that are found at the intersections around my city, I would not think, as I currently do, ‘What a waste of time.” Instead, I would think ‘Wow! I’ve been sitting here five minutes waiting for the light to change. This is my fourth intersection and I’ve already saved twenty minutes. Yippee!’

Much better than my usual thought, ‘Won’t this light every change? My foot’s getting tired pushing on the brake pedal and this is making me late for shopping. It’s sooo unfair!’

The first line of thought would certainly make for a more pleasant mood. I probably wouldn’t be as cranky when I finally got to the store. Other usually thought of time wasting would also become more pleasant. Instead of sitting in the doctor or dentist’s waiting room becoming crankier by the minute, we could be contemplating sitting in the local coffee shop an extra twenty or even forty minutes with the time save. Much better.

This changes everything. Think of the marketing possibilities time barrel savings opens. I can picture themed barrels in which to store your hard-earned time. They could be made in different colors and decor styles to fit in any room of the house, or even outdoors if you wish.

For children, just imagine a Transformer Time Barrel or a Barbie Time Barrel. What child wouldn’t want one?