"don't wish your life away"

Three thoughts/memories about "Time", and the passing of said time:
1. When I was a 17 y.o. busboy at Gasperetti's Roma Cafe in downtown Seattle, an old waitress heard me say "I can't wait until I'm (something) age..." She told me "Don't wish your life away."
2. When I was in Vietnam, even though I was in a relatively secure "Headquarters" area, I was not a happy person/soldier. I remember thinking to myself "someday, this is going to be in the past!!" Pfffffft! Here it is, 47 years later!!
3. I had a dream/memory last night. Another memory from Vietnam. At one point during my time there, my routine of going to "work" (I think we were doing our different jobs 6 1/2 days a week? Half days off on Sundays? Maybe my fellow 258th Vets can remember)...my daily routine of work, KP (Kitchen Police :)) and Guard Duty got all blended together into a kind of blur. The extra stuff was reduced with promotions of sorts later, but was replaced by alcohol. Not much. I've always been a weenie as my brothers will point out, I never drank a lot, and I didn't join the local "air mobile" unit (guys who went out and got stoned every night). BUT, I do remember the end of my daily routine those last several months. I remember returning to our hooch in a bit of a stupor many nights, from what we called the NCO "Club" (Non-Commissioned Officer), where the shots were 10 cents, and when they poured the drink, they were tipping the shot glass at the same time as they were pouring from the bottle. I digress.
My main point is, I remember telling myself one day "wait a minute! "Time" is moving too fast! Slow down."
And I remembered that old waitress telling me "Don't wish your life away."