The Concept of Time

27 Replies

In the beginning there was nothing. And within that nothing was more nothing. And then there was something. The Big Bang was the beginning of something but it had no name, it had no form, it simply was. The something grew, it evolved over millions of years and eventually it became us. We as a species need to control, we need to name, to label and to judge. So, we named the nothing and the something and they became ours. We created the concept of time and it was good. Or was it?

“I’m late, I’m late! It’s such a horrid state!”

Does this sound familiar?  We are corralled by time units.  The alarm clock goes off at 6:30 so we have time to get ready for the day and be in the car by seven to make it to work by 7:45 so we can start work at eight. Lunch is at 12 o’clock, work ends at five, dinner at seven, drinks with friends at nine, bed by 11:30. And repeat, repeat, repeat. We may have created the concept of time but now time rules us.

There are time pieces everywhere visually blaring out the exact second we are living. We wear watches, our cell phones show us the time in huge neon numbers. We stare at the clocks but it is time that is staring back.  I know it is a necessary evil, the world needs structure and that structure is bound by the units of time. But sometimes, just sometimes wouldn’t you like to turn it off?

Once upon a Time the world was ruled by the sun. It told us when to get up and it told us when to sleep. But then we harnessed the sun and created artificial ones so we could take over control. That is what we do. We take control. We’ve subjugated the world to our liking and our conveniences. And it is good. Mostly. It is in the folly of our hubris that we actually think we have been the victors. We will learn, hopefully in time.

But it is not the entire world that is ruled by our dictates. Some places have  managed to escape the hunger for more and they live within their means without the concept of time. It is hard and sometimes untenable. That is not a world I could inhabit.  I like the comforts afforded me by living within time. But I can still dream. I can dream of wide-open spaces and quiet gentle fields. I have camped in the wilderness where time has no meaning, where the sun is once again King or Queen. It may have only been for a week or so at a time but it was precious to me. And the memories I retain will always make me wish for a simpler time

27 thoughts on “The Concept of Time”

  1. Murphy’s Law

    Pam, we are definitely ruled by time. Appointments. Timing what you’re cooking for dinner to be done at the same time. Choosing the “right time” to tell someone something. And then there’s all the time we waste.

    But I can tell you this, the time I spend reading your posts, sometimes laughing, sometimes tearing up, sometimes thinking so hard about what you said it makes my head hurt, is always time well spent. Thank you my friend. You make time pass so much more pleasantly.
    Ginger

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  2. joylennick

    So true and such a well-written piece Pamela.Thank you. (Being in our ‘twilight years’ husband and I can well remember green fields, leisurely walks to school, and.day-dreaming….) A lot to do with having no phones or TV, or computer games, etc., (Wonderful that they all are!). x

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  4. pensitivity101

    Lovely post Pam. We miss the simplicity of living on the boat. No neighbours, no passing traffic, no noise. The peace and tranquility of the river matched the beauty of dawns and sunsets, the wonder of nature and wildlife as it swam or flew around us.
    Here, we live a simple life, tick over very well, and have what we need. It is enough for us, and there is a little left over for treats or to cover emergencies. We have good neighbours, but traffic and noise can be a bind though it’s not that bad most of the time. Nature is almost on our doorstep with badgers and deer coming into our road on occasion, plus we have the beach and the park.

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  5. Dan Antion

    So many conveniences are governed by or depend on precise timing. We can give up time, but only if we give them up, too. I’m with you, I wish we could somehow have both. I’ve been retired for almost two years and I still feel governed by time. Appointments, store hours, entertainment options, the list still goes on. Even our dog seems to be governed by time. I guess that’s because we are. On her own, I think she’d be fine if there was food and water in the bowl and a comfy couch to lay on.

    I’ll end by parroting Ginger. Reading your posts is some of the best use of my time. Thanks for giving us a few good minutes every day.

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  8. Mark Lanesbury

    We have spent a lifetime of wanting and needing and grabbed everything that we could…not realising that this urge wasn’t all those small bursts of happiness but the one we needed to look for within us. Once found, time, finally, forever, loses its meaning. But by then a nice pair of slippers, a comfortable bed and a nice book to read while eating chocolate so does ease all that ‘doing time’ that it took to find it 😂 🤣
    Great post dear lady, an ode to happiness, wherever it is found 😀

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. iglengel

    You are so right. Now that we are in a home with a view (we look out over a lake every morning, evening, and whenever we need a break from the daily activities we are involved in), time really doesn’t mean much to us anymore. Unless we have a doctor’s appointment or a social event (few and far in between due to the Pandemic) we do not watch the clock near as closely as we used to. I do watch it with regards our food times as I surely do not want to eat dinner an hour before going to bed.

    But it is truly nice not to be governed by our watches, clocks, or whatever.

    Good post and appropriate for today’s times.

    Irwin

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