"Done Already?"

The phrase "Done Already" resonates in my life.

A-M is a Vietnamese-American fellow gardener, meaning we both have plots in one of Reston's community gardens. She was in the garden this morning when I arrived, talking with other gardeners. I hadn't seen her before this spring, and my wife had only once, so we guessed she and her husband were visiting his relatives in England.  Only such travels, or caring for relatives as she did last year, would keep her away from her garden.

I believe she's a tad younger than I, but not by much. Her endurance is amazing--typically she's in the garden before I arrive and is still working when I'm pooped and ready to leave.  Sometimes we'll drive past the garden and see her car still parked there.  I'm competitive, so being outworked bothers me. 

Back in my youth I was very competitive.  Whenever my school class had a test, I always wanted to be the first one finished.  I always hated it when the teacher would wait to collect the exams until the end of the period, or the end of the time for testing.  I always loved it when the teacher would accept the exam when done, particularly when she or he would say: "Done already?"

But this morning, it sounded differently--as I was leaving A-M said: "done already?"