BAY AREA HOUSTON MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY 2024

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February 2024

The Forward Thinking Dentist Dr. J. Derek Tieken DDS

THERE’S A

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JANUARY 2024 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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SAVE THE DATE

Just a Pretty Table: An Ode to Joy PRESENTED BY

F E B R U A R Y

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APRIL

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BAHEP Business Spotlight RJ Boatman

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SYLVAN BEACH PAVILION Just A Pretty Table 1 This SYLVAN BEACH DRIVE Incredible Event is Back!

LA PORTE, TX 77571 CCEF New Director

Celebrating 30 Years 10 Beauty With Blaine Jennifer Garcia Gets The Nod

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Valentine’s Day Goes Glam Sponsorships Available

Best Place To Work?

NASA Gets Top Rankings

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Elizabeth Byrd Olin Chosen

ON THE COVER

Dr. J. Derek Tieken is not only a popular, award-winning dentist in the Bay Area, he is also well known for his forward thinking approach to dentistry.

Chairman Rick Clapp

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columns 12

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Clear Lake Chatter 2 Smitherman 95th Bday Bash

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Texas Meditations Measuring Life

Features Editor Halie Briggs

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Bay Area Houston Magazine is produced monthly. All rights reserved.

Material may not be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission.

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Please address all correspondence to: Bay Area Houston Magazine P.O. Box 1032 Seabrook, TX 77586 Earth, The Solar System

Bay Area Houston Magazine | JANUARY 2024

Clear Lake Chatter 1 Bay Aea Parties

Editorial Patty Andrew GH Andrew Don Armstrong Mary Alys Cherry Michael Gos Blaine Ochoa

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Affection Pastor Brad Asks The Question

Creative Director Kelly Williams

281.474.5875

Looking Foward Dr. J. Derek Tieken Is Leading The Way

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General Manager Patty Andrew

www.BayAreaHoustonMag.com r.clapp@baygroupmedia.com

Rick’s Picks Krewe Du Lac Coronation Ball

Publisher & Editor in Chief Mary Alys Cherry

Photography GH Andrew Mary Alys Cherry

Super Bowl Radio Row The Kelly Williams Show Heads To Vegas

President Amber Sample

Sales & Marketing Amber Sample Bill Sloan Robyn Weigelt

New Lunar Rendezvous Chair

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Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Spotlight RJ BOATMAN RJ Boatman is an accomplished professional with a career spanning over four decades in various sectors, including law enforcement, education, and senior leadership roles. He has held significant positions at the municipal, county, state, and national levels, showcasing his expertise and dedication to public service.

Boatman's law enforcement career has been marked by notable achievements. He has served as a Chief of Police, Organized Crime Board Governor, Federal Task Force Director, Emergency Management Coordinator, and Municipal Judge.

With a strong commitment to training and education, Boatman has been a certified instructor for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education since 1992, instructing numerous cadets, officers, and command staff, and has served as a key member of the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center lecturing to hundreds of Judges and municipal court staff on safety and security issues.

Throughout his career, Boatman has been recognized for his outstanding contributions.

Notably, he received the 1995 United States Drug Enforcement Administration's U.S. Regional Award for Outstanding Service in the Field of Drug Law Enforcement. Additionally, he has led many vital initiatives and projects, including a collaboration

with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that successfully tracked and arrested over fifty "most wanted" federal fugitives, weapons, and narcotics traffickers.

In the field of education, Boatman has made significant strides as well. He played a key role as the founding Developer and Operations Director of the nation's first Center for Safe and Secure Schools at the Harris County Department of Education. Boatman also served as the Director of the Texas Education Agency's Persistently Dangerous Schools Project and as the Executive Director of the Texas Safe Schools Alliance, demonstrating his commitment to promoting and ensuring safe and secure teaching and learning environments.

In addition to his exemplary public service, Mr. Boatman serves as the principal partner of a real estate firm that has extensive experience in all aspects of commercial and residential brokerage, investment, development, and construction.

Apart from his professional endeavors, Boatman has been actively involved in Christian ministry since 1976, serving as a volunteer, deacon, and pastor. This further highlights his dedication to serving others and making a positive impact within his communities.

RJ Boatman's diverse background, wealth of experience, and significant contributions in criminal justice, education, and leadership roles make him a notable figure in his field. His commitment to public service and his dedication to creating safer

communities and educational environments will continue to leave a long and lasting impact. He is an accomplished public speaker, and enjoys providing engaging and informative presentations at seminars, workshops, and conferences.

For more information contact RJ@RJBoatman.org

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | FEBRUARY 2024

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Jennifer Garcia named new executive director of CCEF

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ennifer Garcia, a marketing and fundraising professional, is the new executive director of the Clear Creek Education Foundation – replacing Deborah Laine, who retired in December 2023.

Garcia received her graduate and undergraduate degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University.

She is a Certified Nonprofit Executive and was previously the director of Major & Planned Gifts and Interim Executive Director of the Lee College Foundation.

She has over 10 years of experience in marketing, advertising, fundraising, and business relations and has always had a passion for education. She was in the classroom, teaching 4th and 7th grade mathematics, followed by instructing CTE courses in 9-12th grades. She also served as a Varsity/JV Cheer coach.

Community service and involvement is very important to her regardless of her professional role. Most recently, she has actively served as a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Texas Association of Community College Foundations, Rotary Club of Baytown, East Harris County Manufacturers’ Association, and the Board of Directors for the Dayton-Liberty Chamber of Commerce.

“Jennifer brings a depth of knowledge about both private industry and non-profit management to CCEF. Her passion for education will help us build excitement around the foundation so we can continue supporting innovation in CCISD classrooms,” 2024 CCEF Board Chairman Melinda Mintz said, adding that Jennifer is happily married and spends most of her extracurricular time enjoying her three children.

FEBRUARY 2024 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Happy Valentine's Day!

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This February pamper and spoil someone you love or yourself with these fantastic beauty products. They make the perfect gifts and sure to add a radiant, sensual and sexy touch to your look. Create kissable lips with Blaine Gloss in Rebel or Rouge Dior Couture Color Lipstick. Use Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil for illuminating and irresistible skin. Nourish and hydrate your face with a Micro Essence Infusion Mask by Estée Lauder or Origin’s Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash.

Create sparkling eyes and add luscious color with Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Lid Luster in Mink. Leave your body silky and moisturized with Philosophy’s AmazingGrace Whipped Body Crème.

Culture of Collaboration, Innovation Earns NASA Top Workplace Rankings

By Sumer Loggins

“A portrait of the U.S. flag inside the Cupola aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

A

control, particularly during critical emergency scenarios. NASA employees have the unique opportunity to work with experts from many backgrounds in collaborative, interdisciplinary work.

The agency’s workforce includes a range of people passionate about the pursuit of space exploration, all working together to break barriers, expand frontiers, and achieve the seemingly impossible. The opportunity to contribute to space exploration and search for answers to life’s fundamental questions is a source of immense pride.

“I worked as a high school science teacher for 15 years and found myself connecting every bit of content to NASA’s storyline,” said Adam Peterson, a project coordinator in Johnson’s Office of STEM Engagement who leads the Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students challenge. Peterson says that the most rewarding part of his job is hosting students onsite for night testing designs at Johnson’s rock yard and seeing them graduate and begin careers at NASA and in the space industry.

NASA’s compelling missions, culture of innovation, commitment to safety, inclusive workforce, and opportunities for professional growth are why it is repeatedly named the best place to work in the federal government.

“I love working for an agency that respects its employees and contractors. It’s fun and exciting to work with different types of engineers and ensure their data is accurate and timely.” - Michael Chandler, configuration and data manager for the Moon to Mars program. “The work is exciting and never boring, and I get to work with great and talented people.” - John Bretti, probabilistic risk assessment lead for Artemis III “I find it most rewarding helping emcee the Engineering Training Academy new employee sessions to mold the next generation to be more innovative.” - Michael Interbartolo, engineering integration lead for NASA’s Pressurized Rover Team.

“I love being part of a team that’s excited to be at work daily and part of the agency’s story.” - Nilufar Ramji, public affairs officer “Human spaceflight problems are some of the coolest engineering problems out there, and it is exciting to solve them.” - Kendall Mares, Guidance, Navigation, and Control simulation engineer. 

shared purpose unites the NASA workforce - a drive to explore the unknown and create a global impact for the benefit of all.

The agency’s team is dedicated to the pursuit of discovery, whether it’s finding a cure to a disease, studying the human body and circadian rhythms, developing safe technology, searching for the origins of life, or understanding how Earth is changing. This is one of the man  y reasons why NASA consistently receives top rankings as the best place to work in the federal government and is voted one of America’s top employers for women in 2023.

At NASA’s Johnson Space Center, employees play critical roles in monumental moments and historic missions that capture the world’s imagination and inspire the next generation of explorers. They have an opportunity to push the boundaries of human knowledge and be part of an incredible legacy of scientific achievement in pursuit of a new frontier.

“It truly is an honor to be recognized as the Best Place to Work in the Federal Government among large agencies for 11 years in a row,” said Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our workforce and our commitment to mission excellence. I am proud to come to work each day and lead such an exceptional team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.”

Russell Janik develops and sustains engineering support for various Mission Control Center systems. “After 43 years at NASA, I have absolutely no regrets,” he said. “It’s rewarding to know as each human spaceflight mission occurs, my contribution was a small piece of the big picture enabling mission success.”

William Foley, the head of the Habitability and Human Factors Branch, firmly believes that the peaceful exploration of space is the next great frontier for humanity. “At NASA, we are at the forefront of seeing that it is done safely and for the benefit of all,” he said. What Foley finds fulfilling in his role is the opportunity to collaborate with crew members and actively contribute to the development of systems that enhance the crew’s capabilities and provide them with greater NASA's Johnson Space Center employees don their Astros gear with Cosmo, the

agency's Mascot, in front of Building 1. Credit: NASA

FEBRUARY 2024 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Mary Ann Shallberg, retired executive assistant to the University of Houston-Clear Lake president, is happy to see Dr. Charles McKay, left, and Dr. Raj Chhikava at the UHCL holiday celebration Dec. 6 at Bay Oaks Country Club.

University of Houston-Clear Lake President Dr. Richard Walker wears a big smile as he stops for a photo with from left, Kathy Tamer, Sandy Johnson and Kippy Caraway on arrival at Bay Oaks Country Club for the university’s annual holiday dinner celebration.

Parties, parties all over the area!

Special guests at the University of Houston-Clear Lake dinner party Dec. 6 at Bay Oaks Country Club in Clear Lake included from left, Gary and Dr. Sandra Mossman, and retired State Sen. Larry Taylor and his wife, Pam.

Clear Creek ISD Board of Trustees President Arturo Sanchez, center, stops to say hello to UHCL Associate Professor Dr. Robert Phalen, left, and Senior Vice President and Provost Dr. Christopher Maynard at the university’s holiday celebration.

A good time was had by all at the UHCL holiday dinner celebration, as, from left, Dane and Darla McKitrick and Priscilla Ennis and Frank Perez will quickly tell you.

Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole visits with UHCL-Pearland Vice President Dr. Beth Lewis, left, and Pearland Chamber Vice President Jennifer Berti during the big, annual UHCL holiday celebration.

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Deborah Roan, left, is happy to run into Clear Creek ISD School Superintendent Dr. Karen Engle, right, and CCISD official Eva DeCardenas at the BAHEP holiday celebration. celebration.

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership President Brian Freedman welcomes, from left, Charlie Stegemoeller of Leidos, Tim Kropp of MRI Technologies, Joyce Abbey of SAIC and Trey Hall with Rothe to BAHEP's annual holiday celebration at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook.

State Rep. Dennis Paul stops to talk about the upcoming community holiday events with Judge Holly Williamson, left, and new Space Center Rotary President Adrienne Sun at BAHEP’s annual holiday celebration.

Jill Reason, right, of Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre is happy to see Rebecca Lilley of Memorial Hermann and Mark Mitchell of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership at BAHEP’s annual holiday celebration.

Family celebrates Charles Smitherman’s 95th birthday

The Smitherman family couldn’t let the holiday season go by without a party. Long-time Clear Lake resident Charles Smitherman was celebrating his 95th birthday with his family and dozens of long-time friends. Here, they get together for a photo as the dinner celebration was about to begin at Bay Oaks Country Club. Pictured, from left, are Susan and John Anthony Anglin with Charles’ great-granddaughter Edie Anglin, 4, Alexander and Annika Anglin; Paul and Valerie Smitherman Riddle, plus Hannah Smitherman Gresham, whose husband Lee was unable to attend as he was sick with the flu in New Orleans. Next is the honoree, Charles Smitherman. Then, continuing on to the right, are Carol Smitherman Anglin, Jacob and Kelsey Smitherman, David Odom and Dr. Emily Smitherman and Jill and John Smitherman.

FEBRUARY 2024 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Lunar Rendezvous names chairman of 2024 festival

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he Lunar Rendezvous Festival has selected Elizabeth Byrd Olin of Clear Lake as chairman of its 59th annual festival this summer.

Growing up in the Clear Lake area, Elizabeth has been a part of the annual festival for more than 16 years.

In 2001, she was a princess and was selected as Queen Alternate for the 2002 festival. Upon returning from college at Texas Christian University, she volunteered in multiple capacities with the festival.

Over the years she has co-chaired the Royals, the Little Court, and the Big Court along with organizing the Sunset Service, Coronation Ball and the Fashion Show. Her family has been involved with the Lunar Rendezvous Elizabeth Byrd Olin Festival for many years, with her children and numerous nieces and nephews having participated in the Little Court. Elizabeth graduated from Texas Christian University in 2007, with a master’s degree in secondary education, and began her teaching career that same year in Clear Creek ISD at her alma mater, Clear Lake High School, where she was recognized by her colleagues by being named Teacher of the Year in 2016 and was chosen as a top three district finalist for CCISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.

After ten years in the classroom teaching both high school and intermediate, she became an administrator for CCISD and has served as assistant principal for seven years.

In 2007 she met her husband, Jeff, to whom she has now been married for 14 years. They have two children, Connor and Charlotte, who keep them very active with baseball, dance and soccer. They are members of Mary Queen Catholic Church and enjoy being able to support the Clear Creek Education Foundation.

She also has a passion for baking and has started her own company, Red Byrd Cookies. She said she greatly appreciates her family’s support of her small business, as they enjoy taste testing and brainstorming ideas for her next creation.Elizabeth said she is honored to chair the Lunar Rendezvous Festival, adding that she cherishes her festival memories and is looking forward to creating many more as she and her team raise money to give back to the Houston Bay Area through deserving organizations and need-based scholarships for students to pursue their education beyond high school.

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OH YEAH!!

FEBRUARY 2024 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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A Smile Speaks Louder Than Words Tieken Smiles Dentistry

B

By Haleigh Tieken

eauty starts with a smile. A smile can work to light up someone's day, and is the universal language for happiness.

A smile can make a lasting impression and can also affect your personal health and wellbeing. No one knows more about smiles than Dr. J. Derek Tieken.

Dr. Tieken is a renowned and esteemed dentist, serving as the owner at Tieken Smiles Dentistry.

Practicing for over 30 years now, he focuses on general and cosmetic dentistry. He has made his mark in South Shore as one of the first dentists in the area. In addition to his dental practice, he is the author of "Dental Sleep Specialist", and has written two books, "The Million Dollar Smile" and "Mind, Body, Soul, and Smile".

Dedicated to restoring confidence in his patients and establishing a wellness-centered environment, his focus revolves around recognizing the connection between a healthy mouth and a healthy body. Dr.Tieken has always had a passion for caring for others and dreamed of being a dentist since he was a young boy. “I always wanted to be the real life Hermey the Elf.” With a Bachelor's Degree from Baylor University and receiving his doctorate from the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston, he always strives to keep himself in the know about the latest and greatest in dentistry.

He has continued to further his knowledge and attended numerous trainings at the Las Vegas Institute for Cosmetic Dentistry and being a part of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the International Academy of Sleep.

Since then, Dr. Tieken has continued to be a leader in the community for cosmetic dentistry and has received several prestigious accolades.

His work has been recognized by Texas Monthly, Houston Chronicle, Houstonia Magazine, Galveston Daily News, and is even a part of Texas Monthly’s Super Dentists Hall of Fame. With over 500 5-star reviews on Google, the Tieken Smiles team prioritizes exceptional service and offers the best comprehensive dental care across the area.

“I love being my own boss and I created a practice that I’m proud of,” said Dr.Tieken. “I sleep well at night knowing I’m honest and trustworthy.”

Last year, Dr. Tieken was recognized as one of the top three cosmetic dentists in Houston / the Houston Bay Area by the Houston Chronicle’s Best of the Best awards, and was voted The Galveston Daily News Readers’ Choice “Best Dental Office”.

Tieken Smiles provides cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, restorative dentistry, general family dentistry and dental technology. The staff is highly trained, compassionate and knowledgeable. “We help you learn to love your smile.”

Everyone at Tieken Smiles is devoted to giving patients the best personalized experience and life-changing results.

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VOTED

"Best of the Bay" for 19 years “Dr. Tieken and Dr. Rutherford with the team. Our 5-star dentists have about 50-years of experience”.

Prioritizing a holistic approach is very important to Dr. Tieken and his team. Your oral health can impact your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. “There is a connection between my three businesses. Your teeth and mouth play a part in your overall health.

Sleep apnea impacts your mouth and tongue.

This can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and infections,” said Dr.Tieken.

Serving as the owner of Sleep Well Southeast Texas, he treats sleep apnea

patients with oral sleep appliances, instead of the common CPAP machine. “We're screening for obstructive sleep apnea before anyone else.”

He also most recently opened the Aesthetic Center at Sleep Well. This business is focused on overall wellness and aesthetics, offering injections such as fillers, IV drip therapy, facials, and weight loss solutions. Along with providing state-of-the-art dental care, Dr.Tieken believes in the importance of

continuing to give back to the community he’s called home for 34 years. As the founder of the Bay Area Makeovers concept, Dr.Tieken works with a team to deliver a complete smile makeover to selected members in the community.

His work doesn’t stop there as he is involved in the Give Back a Smile program, which provides restorative dentistry services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. He also serves on the Lunar Rendezvous board of directors to give back to the Bay Area community’s youth through scholarships, philanthropy, and service.

At Tieken Smiles, the team recognizes the importance of a smile and the overall impact it can make on a person’s life. Dr. Tieken continues to be committed to excelling at his craft and enhancing people’s lives through a new smile.

“I love being able to remove people’s fear of dentistry and providing life altering dentistry care and enhanced wellness for all patients.”

Scan to schedule an appointment with us Tieken Smiles Dentistry 3033 Marina Bay Dr Ste 230, League City, TX 281.334.4944 www.tiekensmiles.com FEBRUARY 2024 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Emergencies happen.

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A health emergency is something most of us would rather prevent than plan for. But when you need medical care fast, the closest emergency room is a smart thing to know. As your community partner, St. Luke's Health is your direct path from feeling scared or uncomfortable to feeling better. Get to know more about our ERs before an emergency strikes.

Find your nearest location at StLukesHealth.org/Emergency.

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Happy Valentine's Day! FROM BAY AREA HOUSTON MAGAZINE

Affection

By Pastor Brad Heintz

W

hen you hear the word “affection” what do you think of? Do you think of your first crush, or the warm feeling you have for someone or the warm flush of the skin when you are charmed by someone? Over the last year or so I have learned that affection is a core ingredient that when missing can affect so many things. According to emotional typology, affection is the central emotional building block to the different types of love. Without affection it may be hard to love romantically, within your family or with your close friends.

It reminds me of one of my favorite praise songs, “How He Loves Me” by The David Crowder Band. I know that when this song came out it was a bit controversial for some churches to sing praise songs to God in a romantic way but obviously those Christians hadn’t read Hosea or Song of Solomon. This song tries to express what isn’t very easy to comprehend: that God’s love for us is unconditional, unfailing, incredibly deep and really beyond our understanding.

Here are some of the lyrics: He is jealous for me 20 Bay Area Houston Magazine | FEBRUARY 2024

Loves like a hurricane I am a tree bending beneath The weight of His wind and mercy When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory And I realize just how beautiful You are And how great Your affections are for me Oh how He loves us What I have learned in life is that human love is limited, can be transactional and often is fickle unless it’s core emotional building block is God’s unfailing, unconditional, incomprehensible love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) If you haven’t had the opportunity to have your affections eclipsed by glory, it’s not too late.

That experience is available from our good and gracious God. And that experience is something we can share. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7) Pastor Brad Heintz is the founding pastor of Living Word Church in Taylor Lake Village, Texas, a vibrant family-style, non-denominational gathering of believers who take a pure, simple and real approach to faith and life. www.LWCBA.org

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FEBRUARY 2024 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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TEXAS MEDITATIONS

By Michael Gos

MEASURING LIFE

Edna, Texas

W

e were making a brief stop in Edna on our way to a week at Port A. I had heard that the historic Edna Theater, though broken and battered, was about to be saved. It had just been acquired by the Texana Arts Council and they plan a full restoration. I had to go take a look.

The theater was built in 1950 in an AvantGarde style with a huge neon tower above its marquee. Although I knew I wouldn’t be able to get in to see the interior, I’m told it is equally amazing. Just seeing the façade brought me back to my times as a child in the old Palace Theater in Gary, Indiana. Stepping in that front door revealed an absolutely amazing new world to all who entered, but especially to little boys. I am sure the Edna Theater did the same in its time. That’s what these grand theaters did for us. They allowed us to escape into a world of opulence and luxury we could experience nowhere else in our lives.

But it will be a while before we can experience the Edna again as much restoration work is scheduled to be done.

•

As humans, we seem to have a need to organize and catalog things. We separate things into groups (classes). We define things. And we seem to have the most use for breaking big things down into smaller, component parts. Perhaps the most universal of the big things we partition is time.

It's funny how movie theaters always make me think about our concepts of time. Blame it on Dr. Wu, I guess. As a species, humans tend to see time as linear, a series of events, one following another. But there are other views. I remember Wu, one of my professors in college, using a reel of film (Hey, it was the late ‘60s, after all!) as an analogy for one of 22 Bay Area Houston Magazine | FEBRUARY 2024

the quantum physics views of time. In this view, time is not linear. Rather, all times exist simultaneously. Hard to imagine? Consider this. Today you place a DVD in your machine, turn it on, and for two hours, you watch the movie play. Take that disc out of the player when it is over and you are holding the entire two hours in your hand, in that instant. All the events you stretched out over two hours are right there, simultaneously. The myriad of ways we could go about measuring time can sure be puzzling.

As babies, we have very little use for any concept of time. Now is all that matters.

Tell a toddler that he can go to McDonald’s tomorrow, or even this afternoon, and he is flustered. What does that even mean?

But eventually we get used to the idea that, for humans, all time must be broken into segments: sometimes uniformly equal (days, months, years) and sometimes varying in length (baby, childhood, teens, adult). I suppose the average man on the street tends to break time into segments by some relatively uniform standard imposed on him by others (hour, week, month, year) or based on nature (spring, summer, fall). But some of us, depending on the life we lead, choose a very different system of time segmentation.

Like most people, my wife and I went through grammar school, high school and college. But unlike most others, we then spent our careers as professors. Even after retirement, we still measure life in semesters. While others may part with well wishes saying “Have a great year,” our farewell words, especially to young people, are “Have a great semester.” A little strange perhaps, but like everyone else, we are breaking time into segments. It is not a conscious decision we made; it is because, for 50 years, that is how we saw time.

I think there really are better ways to measure time, though. After all, what we are doing here is measuring our own lifetime,

right?

While it’s true we all have a need to break time into measurable segments, maybe those segments should be something more meaningful to us as individuals than just what we can measure with a clock or a calendar.

Some may measure by careers—"I was a teacher, then a salesman, then a cop.” That makes sense; it is personal. If a person had just one career, life could be divided by the various positions held. Picasso presented yet another option. His work is divided into “periods”: Cubism, Classicism, Blue. Bay Area people tend to classify time as pre- and post-Hurricane Ike. All of these seem to be better choices than accepting a system imposed by some outside authority.

I have a friend who measures in yet another way. He sees three periods of his adult life. There was college, then the “previous administration” (his first wife), then the current administration. I know of others who measure their lives in dating relationships. (“My Mary period, the Jeanie period, the Cathy period . . . “). It may sound bizarre, but I think that actually makes a bit of sense. Since we are measuring our own lives, shouldn’t personal life events be more important to us than calendar months and years?

While all of these personal measuring systems work and are an improvement on the clock and calendar, I think there is a still better way to measure a lifetime. When looking back on a life lived so far, we can all pick out special times, times that filled us with memories. But consider instead measuring time by major happenings that changed our lives. Think about the “Eureka” moments, times when you made some great discovery about yourself or about life, times when you gained life-changing understandings. Pay attention to those milestones. That is a great way to measure time.

If, as some physicists claim, our concepts of time are really just random, artificially created constructs that we use to introduce order in our lives, when you make your choice of measurement units, why not choose a measure that forces you to concentrate on the most meaningful, most positive, things you’ve experienced in life? It is certainly no more difficult than accepting a calendar or wristwatch version of your life. Where we place our thoughts determines how our lives go. Concentrating on the Eureka moments can turn an ordinary life into something as grand as the soon-to-be-restored Edna Theater.

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