If I could put time in a bottle

The concept of time completely escapes me

     Seriously!  I just have a hard time with it.
     I had an MRI today.  Nothing to do with time, except to emphasize I can be places on time.   I did the MRI at Rochelle Community, and it was a pleasant experience.  I had headphones and could listen to Sirius XM, so I tuned into the Buffet station.  During the test, I closed my eyes and pictured my friends Carrie, Ross, Steven, Stacy,  Chris, TC, Erin, Todd, Curt, at a concert in the warmth of summer, singing along, dancing, having fun......sigh.
     Anyway, here's how time functions with me.  Or doesn't function.
     I was at NIU, taking a political science course.  My sophomore year, spring semester.  I studied.  I was ready.  I was walking to class and saw a couple of people from my class.
    "Where were you?" they asked.  "We didn't see you at the test."
      I was on my way to the test, which everyone else in the class had finished!  I was two hours late.
     I found the professor.  He was a dour guy with no sense of humor.  Or he was really funny and I didn't get any of his jokes.
     I  said, "I had the wrong time.  I missed the test.  What am I going to do?" I asked, in quite a panic because I was on continued academic probation. (I do hold the school record.  Academic probation five of my nine semesters.)
      He looked at me and said, "I guess you will fail." And went back to cleaning off his desk.
     I explained my situation, and he said he did not have another class and was really busy packing because he was moving to California the next day.
     He did take pity on me.  He invited me over to his apartment to take the test.  So there I sat, on his balcony, while his wife was packing boxes and he was grading the exams.
     I did pass.
    When Jackie and I started dating at NIU, we were involved in a campus group called Canterbury, which was part of the Episcopal Church.  There were several of us in the group.  We talked, ate pizza, put on plays, and liked each other.
     One of the guys, Jerry, decided to become a Catholic priest and there was a going away party for him.
     Directions were to park across the street from the house in the field.
     Jackie and I pulled up.....not a car in sight.  I figured we were early.
     I rang the bell, a woman named Joyce answered and looked at me in disbelief.
    "I know, I am early....first ones here," I boasted.
     She shook her head. I was actually 24 hour late.  The party was the previous day.  Jerry was on his way.
  I have missed appointments, forgotten dates, lost opportunities, because of time.
     Last Friday I had a PT appointment.  I have worked extra hard at being on time.  So I wrote down 10:30 in my date book, appointment book, notebook.  And then I thought it was noon, so I missed it.
    Time is not my friend.  But then again, maybe it's all in my head.