Time is a precious treasure that cannot be replaced or returned. It is a gift that, once opened, will only end with the cessation of our mortal life. As St. Augustine (354-430) notes, “Indeed, we cannot truly say that time exists except in the sense that it tends towards non-existence.” (1) How then do we properly manage our personal time? How do we give our time value and, ultimately, immortality so that its lessons can be utilized by our grandchildren? In my experience, as a 63-year-old man, the most important part of time is to realize its intrinsic value and to truly understand that it is irreplaceable. It is not like money or beauty (Yes, even beauty can be restored: hence the abundance of plastic surgery clinics). It is slipping away before our very eyes like gold or sand through our fingers on a beach.
Food as life
Food is the elixir of life: the better the quality, the better the joy and satiation. This enjoyment of the table has a long pedigree. Our Roman ancestors were renowned for their culinary expertise. Marcus Apicius (1) was a well-known gourmand of the 1st century AD who revolutionized the art of gastronomy due to his inventiveness and creativity. According to the philosopher and statesman Seneca (4 BC-65 AD), this chef was so dedicated to his creations that, when he realized his fortune had been voided by his devotion to his cuisine, he committed suicide rather than live in poverty: certainly a touch extreme.
It is all about feelings
I believe in anthropomorphism: animals have feelings and human qualities. The more theological quest for the soul, I will leave to the learned people involved in these issues. When I was six, I had a bantam rooster by the name of Charlie. He was only twelve inches tall (30.5 centimeters), but he thought that he was a giant. He controlled his flock of hens tenaciously, fending off the intrusions of the much larger Rhode Island Red roosters. Charlie, however, as do many seemingly powerful people, suffered from an advanced state of hubris and constantly forgot who he truly was.
Frustration as knowledge
The frustration a young man expressed to me the other day is endemic to us all, I am sure. He had chosen a path of study, but upon arriving there had come to discover that it was absolutely not to his liking – not his chosen métier. Now what? He has told his friends, his parents, his classmates — he had, in fact, told the whole world. Put yourself “in his shoes,” as they say. You now feel imprisoned by your own words. How can I possibly embarrass everyone (meaning myself) by withdrawing from school? How can I move from law to art history? It is a dilemma that we most certainly all face: how do you tell your betrothed, for example, as you approach the marriage ceremony that the one you actually love is not you — hard if not impossible to do.
The voyage
The iconic traveler traverses life’s path aspiring to arrive at his destination. Along the way, he (1) encounters many frustrations and challenges. Why does the traveler not stop and discontinue his journey – why not make a placid life and forget that ambition, that need? Simply put: he can’t — something drives him on. But there are many days that he himself does not know why he pushes onward. Some force, some hidden resolve, resides in his breast and whips him forward. That power is the belief that, in all men, there is a mission: an intrinsic obligation comprised of something mystical and magical that must be completed before the end. What does that energy want? What is the traveler to uncover? Initially, he cannot fully comprehend his calling, but much like the layers of an onion, each time a piece is peeled away, the underlying flesh is whiter and clearer – an understanding develops.
The new year
New Year’s Day appears in its full exuberance: why do human beings need these benchmarks in time? It has to undoubtedly to do with the fact that we are cyclical creatures. We see magical birth, eventual maturity, ascendance to glory and our final demise as necessary parts of existence – hence the New Year celebrations. This signifies a new beginning, a fresh start. In Western countries, we are exposed to many characterizations of Baby New Year — eventually becoming wizened Father Time. (1) The holiday is an optimistic festival because it produces a powerful pause and the necessary reflection: now what? I recently asked a group of students what would the New Year portend. I was told it would be the same as this year: more tests and yet more homework. This surely is not how I should conceptualize life. Whether I am sixteen or sixty, I must be excited about my life. But then comes the old chestnut. Who is responsible for your life? The answer, rather tragically in many circumstances, is you are.
Passion
Passion: what is it and where do we find it? Simply put: it is an intense emotion that compels us in an exciting direction towards personal discovery and fulfillment. It is an energy, however, that must be individually stimulated and encouraged. But, it cannot be thrust upon a person. Herein lies the problem. As educators, employers, and parents, how do we expose young people to the opportunities that being passionate about something present? This week we read an article entitled “Eight Ways to Discover Your Passion and Live a Life that You Love,” “It is terrifying when you feel like your life has no purpose or direction, but finding your passion can change all that. Finding your passion is like finding your personal road map. When you know what your passion is, you feel motivated, inspired and so much clearer about what your next step should be.” (1) The piece goes on to give us a selection of ways to discover the uniqueness that exists in each of us and hence our personal passion: thoughtful.
Natural kindness
Have you ever noticed that people are naturally kind? Yes, we do encounter the occasional curmudgeon or misanthrope – but in the main, humanity is impressive in its thoughtfulness. Why then are we overwhelmed with the suggestion that the individual is an evil self-centered cur? Sadly we seem to have a flawed gene. We also like to hear of the dirty and the deranged. It is as if each of us as an implicit combination of good and evil. This has been seized upon by the media and hence we occupy the angst-ridden world of today. I always ask myself, if this, however, has to be the case – could we not slowly begin to wean ourselves off the sordid and debauched to something more pure and cerebral?
To your good health
I have always been impressed with good health. It is a concept; however, that is now escaping modern man. “The evolution of fitness over the centuries and the different facets present in our modern physical culture … (ask the question): what have we lost, and what have we gained? Obviously, much good has come out of these recent developments: there’s widespread awareness of the importance of regular exercise, nearly every community has a gym where people can work out, and we understand more about how the human body works and responds to physical training than we ever have before.
A sense of peace
In Western culture, the holy season is upon us. I am overwhelmed with the desire to acquire a sense of peace to be able to connect with my God. To place my consciousness in a state of silence can only be conducive to true mindfulness, to tranquility. It is here that lies the door to infinity — the portal to the answer to life, its meaning and its mission. How many of us have lead fruitless and meaningless lives simply because we have spurned silence – or even worse, have refused to believe that it could be accessed or achieved. The theoretical is always grand and pompous, isn’t it? But, how does one come to this talked about state? Firstly, it is not easy. The virtual void of silence in the world suggests that few desire or, in fact, achieve such a state. We are surrounded by the click and clack of cell phones; the bang and whirr of doors and elevators, and the whoosh and whine of traffic — to enumerate but a few distractions. It is only in that magical climb in the mountains just as the sun is rising that there is anything approximating silence in our modern society. “When you start, you have all the noise in your head … (by the journey’s end) you feel your brain is wider than the sky. You’re a guy being part of this bigness, this greatness. To be alone and experience the silence feels very safe, very meaningful.” (1)
This is not a problem, however, that is unique to our age: “At the beginning of the (19th) century objections to street noise from Times (2) editorials and letter-writers tend to be framed in moral terms. In the latter half of the century, the idea that noise has a special impact on intellectual labour becomes more commonly expressed. This may reflect a rise in a Galtonian (3) form of class consciousness. That is, the belief that social stratification reflects differences in intellectual capacity and that civilised life depends on the most intelligent classes having full freedom of action.
The letters also reveal a great deal about the street sounds of everyday life in London, even when allowing for a degree of exaggeration on the part of their writers.
Attempts to control noise in London go back to local laws in the Middle Ages when clamorous trades involving metal-working were subject to curfews. Street vendors’ cries were often celebrated in poems as emblematic of the city’s commercial spirit, but Hogarth’s 1741 engraving The Enraged Musician (4) shows them interfering with a specific line of work. (5)
As Krishnamurti (1895-1986) so aptly points out, silence must begin with the self – with me. To begin, you must give yourself a good psychological and meditative shower to wash away the exterior detritus of the known or lived life. You must come to the calm you, the natural you, in a place of silence. When you somehow arrive there, in your spiritual nudity, you can begin to discover your true self. You will be afraid, in my estimation, because it is not the perceived you in the world. It may, in fact, be a fortuitous discovery of the exciting self: not the dull and failed self that you believe yourself to be. “We carry about us the burden of what thousands of people have said and the memories of all our misfortunes. To abandon all that is to be alone, and the mind that is alone is not only innocent but young — not in time or age, but young, innocent, alive at whatever age — and only such a mind can see that which is truth and that which is not measurable by words.” (6)
In this way, I will spend a reflective and peaceful time. These are the periods in a person’s life that allow you to accept the past, have gratitude for the present and welcome the future if it comes at all. The writer and academic Norton Juster (b. 1929 ) leaves us with a thought: Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven’t the answer to a question you’ve been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause of a room full of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you’re alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful if you listen carefully.
A closing thought: Recently, I spoke to a large gathering of young people. At the end of my talk, one young woman came up to me, in tears, to express her gratitude for my words. I was totally flummoxed. I am but the messenger of thoughts and suggestions that are as old as the civilization itself: the idea that the self has value at any age if you choose to develop your special gifts. I felt very humbled, and I reminded myself that guns and swords do not have the power that words do: we must simply think of Tolstoy and Gandhi, as examples.
To sum up: This week we spoke about how to achieve a state of silence.
To be noted: He who knows others is clever; he who knows himself has discernment.
Just for fun: The Well-Tempered Clavier
For reflection: Does God exist?
This week on your inspirational walk, please ponder how to acquire your own special silence.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful
Quote: Write down your thoughts: they give an understanding to the self.
Footnotes:
(1) Erling Kagge, Silence in the Age of Noise (ISBN: 9-7805-255-63-64-8)
(2) The Times
(3) Francis Galton
(5) Street noise and the taming of Victorian London
(6) Krishnamurti, Freedom from the Known (ISBN: 978-1846-042-13-3)