Three things about time.
I have just returned from 10 days away in the USA. Travelling is hard work: not much romance remains in intercontinental flight after 7 hours sitting cramped in a small seat trying not to be elbowed into the aisle by a very large man sitting next to me with a persistent sniff ... Seven hours is a long time, especially when one would rather be asleep. With self-discipline I can avoid looking at the time / mileage page on the screen display for quarter of an hour, maximum. That makes 28 times I checked our current position on the little map. Time doesn't fly when you're flying.
I learned a different lesson about time at the workshop I attended in Columbus, Ohio. I was down to speak last. They said this was because they expected a masterly survey. I suspect the real reason was, fewer early leavers would complain if they missed me rather than other speakers. Whatever. The two speakers before me on the Friday morning both over-ran, and one could sense that people were getting edgy about missing their planes. So I announced right at the start of my talk that I would finish early - just 50 minutes, not the full hour. The resulting sense of relief was palpable, the applause when I finished at the exact predicted instant was gratifying. And the plan also enabled me to deal with distracting off-topic questions during the talk - yes I could answer your question now, but you want me to finish on time don't you ... Good timing is a promise kept.
And the third thing about time. In Columbus I met two friends once again, whom I first met 25 years ago when Catherine and I made a grand tour of some US and Canadian Universities, towing around our one-year-old son. I've only met Peter and Martha on two other occasions, though we've stayed in touch at the Christmas card level. And now we met again, had a couple of meals together, and it was so good. We've quoted Peter from time to time in church talks (a fact that would greatly surprise him); when we first met he commented that the surprising thing about people was that they lived their lives on the basis that nothing would change, when in fact change was the one fact of which they could be absolutely sure. A true word indeed, but I was struck by how vivid and fresh our friendship remains. My heart is warmed by this connection through time.
I have just returned from 10 days away in the USA. Travelling is hard work: not much romance remains in intercontinental flight after 7 hours sitting cramped in a small seat trying not to be elbowed into the aisle by a very large man sitting next to me with a persistent sniff ... Seven hours is a long time, especially when one would rather be asleep. With self-discipline I can avoid looking at the time / mileage page on the screen display for quarter of an hour, maximum. That makes 28 times I checked our current position on the little map. Time doesn't fly when you're flying.
I learned a different lesson about time at the workshop I attended in Columbus, Ohio. I was down to speak last. They said this was because they expected a masterly survey. I suspect the real reason was, fewer early leavers would complain if they missed me rather than other speakers. Whatever. The two speakers before me on the Friday morning both over-ran, and one could sense that people were getting edgy about missing their planes. So I announced right at the start of my talk that I would finish early - just 50 minutes, not the full hour. The resulting sense of relief was palpable, the applause when I finished at the exact predicted instant was gratifying. And the plan also enabled me to deal with distracting off-topic questions during the talk - yes I could answer your question now, but you want me to finish on time don't you ... Good timing is a promise kept.
And the third thing about time. In Columbus I met two friends once again, whom I first met 25 years ago when Catherine and I made a grand tour of some US and Canadian Universities, towing around our one-year-old son. I've only met Peter and Martha on two other occasions, though we've stayed in touch at the Christmas card level. And now we met again, had a couple of meals together, and it was so good. We've quoted Peter from time to time in church talks (a fact that would greatly surprise him); when we first met he commented that the surprising thing about people was that they lived their lives on the basis that nothing would change, when in fact change was the one fact of which they could be absolutely sure. A true word indeed, but I was struck by how vivid and fresh our friendship remains. My heart is warmed by this connection through time.
