Did someone see that truck's license plate...

It has been a long day, a long week, a long month, and a very long year.  At the same time, this year, this month, this week, and today have zoomed by incredibly fast.  Combine the two perspectives and it feels like I have been hit by the proverbial truck.  I'm always astounded by the fact that time can pass slowly and quickly concurrently; I'm convinced that somewhere within this particular temporal phenomenon is the secret to time travel.  (I have been watching Star Trek Voyager lately... can you tell?)

I am fascinated by time and memory though, I always have been.  The whole arrow of time, entropy, the third law of thermodynamics, etc all have a special place in the back of my mind.  I've even written a story or two about time, time travel, and the whole space-time continuum thingy. 

I am fairly sure that we have all experienced the feeling that some things pass by quickly and other things don't.  Ask anyone who is sitting in a dentist's chair how time is passing for them, and I am pretty sure you will get a different answer than that given by someone who is having the time of their life.  Is there a real temporal shift going on here, or is it just perspective?  The answer may seem obvious, but again, it depends on who you ask.  I know people who are convinced that we control the speed of time without being aware of it, and there is no convincing them otherwise.

The reality of all this is that time passes no matter what.  We can't change it, stop it, or even turn it around.  Everything we experience throughout our lives is coloured by our perspective, even time... or should I say especially time.  I have started reading a book and eight hours later realized that it was eight hours later but it felt like only a few minutes had passed.  My middle child had to have laser treatment when she was six months old.  The actual treatment lasted maybe 30 seconds to a minute, but my heart was breaking as she cried in pain and fear, and it felt like an eternity.  I believe that there is a corollary here: The more enjoyable the experience the faster that time flies and the more un-enjoyable the experience the slower that time drags by.  I'm sure that someone out there has made a mathematical formula out of this to torture math students with.

Back to the truck I mentioned earlier... We can get the license plate of that truck by simply adjusting our perspective.  That's the easy part... saying it, that is... the hard part is doing it.  It takes a lot of self control to be in control of time, or our perspective of the passage of time.  We can easily make ourselves aware of it, but can we really control how we perceive it?  Anyone who has watched a clock knows that just by making yourself aware of the time and counting the minutes along with it will slow the clock right down.  If you don't believe me, try it.  The second that you start counting the seconds is the point in time at which the universe seems to slow down.  Conversely, the moment you lose yourself in an enjoyable activity, time speeds up, and you can't measure it, because again, the moment you do so... well, you get my point.

Speaking about 'time', it is time for me to finish this post.  So without further time spent, I will end this in a timely fashion.  I hope that you are looking forward to the next time I post.  Until then, have a good time, be on time, and take the time to smell the roses.  It's high time that more of us did so...

Time off does not necessarily mean time off...

I've been meaning to update my blog for some time now, and I was looking forward to this week off to do so.  I am quickly discovering that I may need a break from my break.  The reality is that unless you plan every moment of the day when you are on holiday, life is very unstructured.  Now, I am the last person to complain about the lack of structure since I find that flying by the seat of my pants and living life full on is the way to go, and this happens best when I don't actually plan.  However, This week is not one that has allowed me to steer my course through it with only my behind to guide me; this week has consisted of doctor's appointments for my daughter and wife, visits to the in-laws, and grocery shopping. 

I was very close to going on a school trip to France, but circumstances occurred to make that an impossibility.  So, instead, I am changing nappies, feeding babies, and staying up late watching Star Trek Voyager until 0100 in the morning.  I don't want to sound like I'm complaining though, because I'm not.  I have a chance to support my wife, spend time with my family, and watch old episodes of Star Trek; these are things France would not have given me.  I also don't want to complain because most of the working world doesn't get spring break off, and I don't want to come off as a putz.

You have probably figured out that this is one of my blog entries where I ramble.  Rambling is good, though.  It is very stream of consciousness type stuff and you never really know where it will take you.  I knew that I would ramble as I sat down to write this, because I am writing more for the need to do so, than for the need to say something specific.

So, bear with me.  This blog entry may not be the best thing that you have read today, this week, this month, or this year, but hopefully, it won't be the worst either.

I have only one and a half days left of spring break.  Tomorrow, me and my son are going to the mountains to have some good solid father and son time, and when I get back I will take my daughter out for some daddy daughter time as well.  Saturday will see and my wife going on a date, so I guess after all is said and done, France has nothing on my being with my family.

I will get some writing done this week, and I have almost finished this entry, so I guess I am not as far behind the game as I thought.  I also made new friends on twitter, and making friends is always a good thing, and I will take friends and family over France any day.