NOW

I remember there was a time when I measured my life in terms of hours as I sat in school and wondered why the minute hand on the wall clock took forever to click to the next mark, or why the bell ending recess followed so quickly after the bell releasing us from the classroom.

I remember there was a time when I measured my life in terms of days as I wished the anticipated excitement of tomorrow, to be spent with friends, would soon supplant the tediousness of today, or hoped that today would never end because of the dreaded-ness which tomorrows anticipated regular activities promised.

I remember there was a time when I measured my life in terms of weeks as the cycle of work days and weekends, streamed viciously and endlessly, chomping up gobs of life.

I remember there was a time when I measured my life in terms of semesters where nervous anticipation of meeting new students was soon followed by the teary voicings of ‘until we meet again.’

I remember there was a time when I measured my life in terms of years where I was checking calendars to see how many more years certain activities would dominate my life, waking only too quickly to find that the anticipated years had melted away with winter’s disappearing snows.

My current musings about time has driven me to make a cursory study of calendars and man’s attempts to measure time.

The Babylonians are often credited with making the first attempts at putting days into some measurable order. They settled upon a week consisting of seven days because they could fit four of those weeks into most lunar months. Of course they had to include several holidays, (where various gods were honored) into their calendar to make the necessary adjustments to fit the solar year. One of the things I really like about the Babylonian calendar is that each New Year started with the vernal equinox. That seems like a much more logical time to have renewed resolve than in the middle of winter.

The tribes of Israel were given a time measurement by divine commandment which consisted of consecutive weeks of six days of labor followed by a day dedicated to worship and thanksgiving. I find it interesting that for many centuries they were able to get by fine without worrying about trying to make this continuous series of weeks fit the cycles of the moon or the sun. After their sojourn among the Egyptians and the concept of solar years was added, there were breaks scheduled where the regular six days of labor and a day of worship were interrupted with segments of time set apart in a formula of multiples of seven, when they were to honor the one and only true God during days of jubilation.

There were other attempts made to regulate mankind’s activities in units of 10 and even units of 60. There were always days to appease the gods and days to leap or adjust to the .25 of a day the calendar just didn't coordinate with the sun. There was even a time when 10 whole days were skipped to make up for the years when the leap hadn’t been made.

The Julian calendar which is the source of measuring time for most of the world today was introduced in 45 BCE. Although there have been tweaks and adjustments this calendar has kept the world somewhat coordinated for more than two millennia.

When I look back to remember this time of my life I will remember it as being a time when time had less and less of an influence on what was important to me in life. Of course there are scheduled events when it is important to be at certain places at certain times, but I will look back and see that mostly my hours, days, months and years were pretty much occupied with activities which I chose at the time to be involved in.

When all has been said, there is only one measure of time that is real and that is now. This moment will soon be gone and I will never have it again.

No remembering about yesterdays or dreaming about tomorrows can accomplish what is needed to be done now.

However, if now can be made more enjoyable or fulfilling by remembering or dreaming, then perhaps that is what should fill my now.

There are nows which are only made meaningful by accumulated memories.

There are tomorrows which will only be accomplished because of the dreams of now.

How ever I choose to use my now let it be done so that it does not diminish my yesterdays.

How ever I choose to use my now let it be done in such a way that I will someday remember it with fondness.

How ever I choose to use my now let it be the foundation of dreams yet to be realized.