I am a person that thoroughly enjoys knowing the time. Not only the time of day, but also the day and date. I don’t like feeling unprepared, which is what happens if I lose track of the time. Over the centuries, time has become a huge part of everyday life. Everything is scheduled, and time is an essential to be kept track of.
I have always hated to lose track of time. I don’t like the feeling of losing any time, even for an hour or two. An example of this might be when I wake up in the morning and think it’s Sunday, only to recall that it’s actually Monday. There are days when for some reason, my brain thinks that it’s earlier than it actually is, and when I look at a clock, I’m shocked by how late it is. Those instances make me feel like those hours just disappeared, and I don’t like that feeling.
However, that can go both ways. On some occasions, I’ll think it’s Sunday, only to remember that it’s really Saturday. Or, I’ll think it’s five o’clock, and when I look at my iPod, I discover it’s only three in the afternoon. These instances make me feel like I’ve been given extra time. While I enjoy these little surprises, I’d rather know what time it was, all the time.
Sometimes, I think that’s the problem. I depend so much on time. I use it to schedule everything, like how long I will do one activity, when I will leave the house, and when I will eat lunch. In many ways, time is helpful, as it serves as a common reference point so that we can meet with others and stay organized. However, in many ways it is a hindrance. Instead of just enjoying a day that I don’t have to go anywhere or do anything, I look at the clock constantly, as though reassuring myself that I still have more time.
I think it would be interesting to have a day where I turned all the clocks in my house off, just to see how my day would vary. Would I end up getting more work done? Would I appreciate the day more than I do with the clocks on? I would like to think that I would get more work done, but the harsh reality is that I would probably end up not doing work, and just slacking off and procrastinating.
I guess, in the end, time is important in this day and age. We need it to keep track of things, and to stay on schedule with everyone else. If we didn’t have time, the world could become a pretty chaotic place. However, remember to enjoy the time that you have, instead of just watching the clock to make sure you still have more. After all, time is going to move on no matter what. You can’t stall it, or make it last any longer than it’s going to, but you can enjoy every minute that you have available to you. See you next week!
“Reprinted from Hagel Publications, Inc. dba as Courier Newspapers”