Day 2 - 274 -- Struggling to Understand Time

Today marks the end of week 4, so we are officially 1/3 of the way through the fall term. I have no idea how that much time has passed. I feel like I am just introducing things and have had an overwhelming feeling of being far behind where I should be in covering course materials. I'm not sure this is unusual. If I read back in the blog from last year, I will likely find similar feelings being expressed. The anxiety feels quite recognizable, so I know this isn't something different from other years; yet, that feeling of foreboding still hangs in the air just over my right shoulder outside of sight -- reminds me of a Doctor Who episode <smile>.

The rate of time passing is a topic I've written on before. I do find it unsettling that how time passes isn't understood and often seems like a surprise. How is it October already? What happened to September? Wasn't it just August? All phrases that I have heard in the past couple of days. So, I know I'm not alone, but I don't feel comfort in that. The nature of time is a major concept that has been theorized by many, but our perceptions of time may need further study to understand how humans make sense of the concept. Clocks and calendars mark the days, hours, minutes, seconds, but how is that measurement of time understood? Experiencing the incongruity of passing time over and over seems not to help us learn what measures of time feel like. Instead we are constantly trying to reconcile the clock or calendar with what we understand in our heads. I'm not sure this one can be fully learned or even reconciled. As a somewhat abstract concept it can be challenging to make it more concrete. I envy cultures who manage living with less emphasis on clocks and calendars.

Lyrics about the concept of time are the focus of the selection shared here today. Vocals catch me whenever I hear this singer -- such clear, perfect notes. Enjoy!

Who knows where the time goes? -- Judy Collins