PASSAGE OF TIME

DIANE ARMSTRONG

This past year even though it may have felt like the world came to a halt, like everything and everyone stopped, the sun continued to rise, and the days continued to pass. The natural world continued its course and so should we.

At times it has felt like this portion of our lives have been taken away from us, without any chance of returning. It’s been difficult to find the balance of planning for the future while trying to live in the moment, andwithout feeling like we are wasting our time. We’ve experienced having no time versus suddenly having too much time and not knowing what to do.

With our busy lives juggling uni, jobs and other work, we often felt that we were running out of time to do what we actually wanted to do. Then as COVID-19 came along, suddenly the way we experienced life changed, confining us to our homes and in our bedrooms. As the first lockdown began some of us started filling our time baking, embroidering and learning new hobbies or even starting small businesses. Even with this ‘extra’ time we felt the need to fill it. To keep busy. To be productive.

TRY TO IMAGINE A LIFE WITHOUT TIMEKEEPING. YOU PROBABLY CAN’T. YOU KNOW THE MONTH, THE YEAR, THE DAY OF THE WEEK. THERE IS A CLOCK ON YOUR WALL OR THE DASHBOARD OF YOUR CAR. YOU HAVE A SCHEDULE, A CALENDAR, A TIME FOR DINNER OR A MOVIE.

YET ALL AROUND YOU, TIMEKEEPING IS IGNORED.

BIRDS ARE NOT LATE. A DOG DOES NOT CHECK ITS WATCH. DEER DO NOT FRET OVER PASSING BIRTHDAYS.

MAN ALONE MEASURES TIME.

MAN ALONE CHIMES THE HOUR. AND, BECAUSE OF THIS, MAN ALONE SUFFERS A PARALYZING FEAR THAT NO OTHER CREATURE ENDURES. A FEAR OF TIME RUNNING OUT.

— The Time Keeper, Mitch Albom. The world has changed in so many ways. But just like nature must adapt to new climates, animals to changing environments and technology to new trends. We too must learn to navigate our way through this new world, or we will find ourselves stuck trying to live in a place that no longer exists.

I recently rediscovered a quote from Mitch Albom’s, The Time Keeper hidden deep in my phone’s notes and felt that it applied perfectly to our current lives and perception of time.

So why do we fear time running out? Time allows us to measure our day, plan and schedule our lives and celebrate meaningful events. Living life knowing we have limited time makes each day special. Which is why we try to fill each moment as to not waste it. Yet, in the same way, if we lived knowing time was endless nothing would be special anymore. We wouldn’t fear the loss of time, nor would we appreciate the time we have.

It may be difficult to plan for a perfect 2021 but with everything we have learnt this past year, use the new year as a time reset. Rediscover what you love and learn from your experiences to continue moving forward. Even with the unforeseeable future one thing will remain certain; time will always continue. Each day will pass. The difficult times won’t last forever, and the best moments of your life may be short lived. So, live each day appreciating the moment and hoping for better tomorrow.

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