Time

It's Monday afternoon and I am just stepping out of my quiet house. Each kid has buried themselves in a selected gadget or a book and locked in a room of their choosing, the GoodMan is busy working from home, and my ageless parents are taking their power nap. The sun is bright and warm and I plug in my headphones and start my run for the day. The first words I hear on my fitness app are;

Time : 3:30 PM Starting Workout

A bubble pops in my head. TIME. What is time actually? How can I define time? Is it different for person to person? Does it change pace? Do some get more and some less? Is there a good time and a bad time? Does time ever stop? How cool was the digital time shown periodically on the thriller series 24, and so on…

I take a deep breath and realize that sunrise and sunset are always at a scheduled time everyday. Every morning, we are all given a priceless gift of time. Each one of us is given the same number of hours, minutes and seconds in each day but the number of days every individual has during their lifetime, is entirely dissimilar. Some have fewer than others, while a few have greater than many.

Of the 24 hours in a day, we divide time we use between work, some for leisure and partly to sleep. The rest is simply lost. Not all uses of time are equally distributed. More often than not, people who choose to spend most of their time towards their work or business, grow their bank balance. Individuals who focus a dedicated amount of time towards fitness seem to own quintessential bodies. Human beings who invest a chunk of their time into their passions such as art and music, make remarkable creations. Children who work hard at school and on their assignments almost invariably seem to be doing well in their classes. An athlete who invests hours on polishing his skills will eventually shine in the stadium and so on. Not simply quantifiable options, people who spend their time with family and loved ones build stronger relationships as well. We can predict our own future by examining where we are devoting the bulk of our time.

Steve Jobs had famously said;

Then I suddenly hear an automated voice through my headphones;

Time: 8 minutes 40 seconds Distance: 1 km Average pace: 8 minutes 40 seconds/km

I turn around the block and continue my pace trying to gather my frame of thought. We teach kids how to read time on a clock at a very young age. Instead, what we must attempt to teach them is the value of time. When someone gives you their time, they give you a portion of their life that they can never get back. It's the most valuable gift you can receive. Some talk to you in their free time and some free their time to talk to you. Both are poles apart.

When we are addressed to an invitation for a gathering, we first look at the date and time on the invitation and then plan accordingly. There are some, specifically like my GoodMan, who commit to respect the time to the exact minute. He is the reason I have learned to be one hour early than one minute late. This is the same standard he sets for all, irrespective of the host. I love him for that but at the same time, loathe his constant reminders and nagging about being on time. There are many friends we notice arrive on time at some social circles while they share no such discipline for other events. When asked about the reason for their discrepancy, they justify as some organizers not being worthy enough of their full time. It's a shame that they believe they are defining the anchor by the time of their arrival while the only one they are delineating is themselves.

Again, as if right on cue, I again hear the automated voice on my running app;

Time: 18 minutes 46 seconds Distance: 2 km Average pace: 9 minutes 22 seconds/km

My active body is now filling up my mind with different characteristics of time as well. They say time heals all wounds. Is that really true? Or does time simply just teach us how to make peace with things that we cannot change. Time truly is the greatest teacher.

All at once, I hear my dear brother in law's voice in my head, "Time will tell!" He has an amusing sense of humor and whenever he doesn't want to pick a side, he repeats, "Time will tell!" My GoodMan and me, we always giggle when he says this. The truth or correctness of something will (only) be established at some time in the future.

Was America's response to the corona virus appropriate and timely? Did the leadership step up during this crisis? Was the death of George Floyd a tipping point? Will we learn from our mistakes? Will Tom Brady win another Super Bowl, this time with Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Will Donald Trump be reelected for another 4 years? Only, TIME will tell!

Time is the only asset that cannot be bought with money or even saved for another day. Any time wasted cannot be claimed at a later date!

"Lost time is never found again." – Benjamin Franklin.

It's absolutely true that time flies when we are having a good time. If we are not enjoying ourselves, we feel every second ticking slower than ever. How time moves is based on our perception completely.

I had come across a great forward on social media and tried to remember...

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper or bloggers like me.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

~ Author unknown

Time is a treasure! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember, time waits for no one. No one is promised tomorrow. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.

I now see my home when I hear the soothing words;

Time: 29 minutes 23 seconds Distance: 3 km Average pace: 9 minutes 48 seconds/km “Workout complete!”

I am energized and tired both at the same time. I wave to my son who is now playing in our neighborhood. He runs up to me and asks me excitedly, “Mummy, what is your topic this weekend?”

I say, “I was just thinking about TIME. What do you think about it?”

Without a moment's hesitation, my son says, in a very philosophical tone, "Time goes on, but we have to keep up!", and runs away back to his friends. Children probably never squander any time :)

~ MG