January 1, 2011

January 1, 2011

Happy New Year! A new year, a new decade began at 12:00 this morning. That nano second of time passed within the cosmic clock without notice. Strictly a manmade device, time as we know it, has zero meaning in the Grand Scheme of Things. Nonetheless, without the ability of accurately “gauging time” we humans would be in chaos in short order. Our whole world is centered on the measurement of time…from cradle to grave.

We “mark time” when profound events happen: either public or private. The birth of a child “marks time” in our private memory. The assassination of a president “marks time” in our collective public memory.

We set our clocks and watches to keep from losing track of time. We “kill time” when there is little to do. We are “on time” when we punch in at work or meet the train or plane schedules. We are “out of time” when these schedules overlap. We are “ahead of time” when we finish a project early or get to the terminal before the scheduled arrival or departure times. We are “losing time” when the demands on us are greater than our ability to meet those demands.

Each of us has 24 hours within our day: The exact amount of time, without exception. What we do with that slice of the cosmic clock is discretionary. We can word like a dog, sleep all day, get drunk, get sober, get stoned, get clean, sit in a catatonic state, sew, visit a friend or relative, commit a crime, confess a sin, take a vow, break a vow, write a poem, take a photograph, sculpt a masterpiece, paint, draw, etch, volunteer at a shelter for the homeless or for animals, forgive someone, bake a pie, rake leaves, clean house, do the dishes, paint the house, mend the fence, change the oil in the car, wash the car…unless one is very ill, there is almost no excuse to have “time on our hands”. You get the idea. Twenty four hours is a precious gift—you might not get that gift tomorrow.