Ambigous Time

The other day, I took a stroll in a local antiques shop, and this isn't like any other antiques shop. It is about a football field in length with all sorts of gadgets and thingy-ma-bobs. Once in a while I'll walk through to see what's new (ironic, eh) and eventually I came across a great oak grandfather clock. Although it sat tightly in a shadowy corner, it could not fit in with pieces around it. It towered over me with its sweeping curves and detailed gold emblazed pendulum. After looking at the price tag, with the handwritten note "French clock, 1800s, $1,400" I gazed up at its face speculating the hands. The long hand ticked away. And in the silence with all sorts of clocks around me I could hear the faint tinking of their hands. What an odd thing I thought. Their owners long gone. Old photographs were placed around and I suddenly thought it funny in a way. That even though time had stopped for them, it continued to be counted.

My uncle told me that time is made up. That man made it because they need something to assure them of their purpose on earth. And so they made the concept of time. Of course, at first most would believe this to be ridiculous. But after sometime thinking, time does seem to be such an ambigous thing. And it is so different for different people. People forget that people did not keep track of their age or say to their neighbour 'meet me at 11:15am". Time to an extent was irrelevant. I remember spending some time in Egypt, and everyday we would be suprised with what we would do next. It wasn't planned, our guide would just say 'if God willing, we will do...' Sort of joie de vivre, just taking it as it comes.

Sometimes I think about. What would life be like if I didn't concentrate on time. If I didn't know how old I was because it didn't matter. If I didn't know the seasons by months but rather by knowing the natural changes around me. If I wasn't bothered by having things in because they were supposed to be, but rather because it was the right time for the tasks to be done. I think life would be much slower, which is why I feel country people are often dubbed with being slow about things. But at the same time, what a relief!

Life shouldn't be about time. Life should be about living and enjoying an ambigous existence. Because time, well it's irrelevant.