Time Keeps On Slipping

I must have been about sixteen or seventeen. My good friend Eva and I were sitting at Westminster Park, not too far away from her house. We were pondering the future, as any teenager does. In the slight breeze, I looked to her forlorn expression. Back then, Eva was more concerned with her time left on this Earth than I was. Now, I’m not sure how she feels…I haven’t talked to my friend in quite a while.

Still, this memory remains because of how it guides me more than a decade later. You see, I wanted to ease my friend’s concerns about the future. I knew she wanted to do something great with her life and I’m sure, like with all of us, there was a little anxiety that she wouldn’t live up to her dreams. So, I pulled a nugget of wisdom from the Void as I randomly do.

“Time is a manmade concept, don’t worry so much about it.”

Was it profound? Did I belong to the great circle of classic philosophers? I didn’t think so, but it seemed to ease Eva, so, mission accomplished. I still believe those words I uttered. After all, what is a minute? Or a year? Just a measurement, really, and it’s one that depends on perspective. A mile may be a lot or a little depending on how much you run. The tallest shelf at the grocery store could be an obstacle or not depending on your height.

As my man Al Einstein said, “It’s all relative.” Don’t fact check that one, I’m not sure if he said those exact words. Still, relativity runs rampant throughout our lives and we can afford to see things from another perspective. In such a fast-paced world, it’s a good idea to take a second to ask why some people slow down. Maybe then, we can start to figure out how to best move forward.

I’m constantly worrying about making the best use of my time, and often, I fail. I make the conscious choice to sleep in, or watch YouTube, or check my Facebook when I should be writing something. That’s okay. All work and no play made Jack a dull boy, but all play and no work made Jack a jerk. Find the balance; time wants to be optimized for your best success and that includes rest.

If you find yourself worrying about how much time you have left to make your mark or whether or not to do the thing you want because you “don’t have time”, consider that time is a manmade concept. It’s yours to do what you will with. You want to make more time for friends, or more time to relax? You’re the boss, boss. If we conceptualized “the minute”, we could certainly manipulate it to some extent.

Did you ever wonder why time flies when you’re having fun? Because you’re ignoring it. There’s a middle ground in managing your time. You can’t obsess with counting the minutes because a watched pot never boils. Instead, the most productive thing you can do is respect the flow of time and realize that it’s best to use it as a tool for your development.

I think about Eva from time to time. I think we just grew apart, concerned with different ways to use our time. Still, I wish the best for her and I hope she isn’t worried about the trajectory of things, at least, not as much as she used to. We all have to decide what we do with the time we are given. It’s an old cliché, but they ring true for a reason.