The greatest gift of human consciousness, I would maintain, is time — in other words: life itself. It has more value and stunning cachet than all the baubles and fame in the world. Few, if any, would trade less time on this Earth for more material wellbeing on a shortened daily basis. Even Dr. Faustus was greatly remorseful when the Devil came to claim his soul. (1) Our temporal reality is so misunderstood, unfortunately, and is covered in confusing romantic trappings. At its “quick,” at its most elemental, it is very simple. It is “potential” in its purest form and is awarded at birth, and is thus unique to me and to only me. What I do with it is one of the greatest conundrums facing man. Some opt to remove themselves into ethereal worlds of solitude, isolation, and prayer while others seek vast empires and historical glory. In either extreme example, the net result is the same: death and transcendence. The Egyptian pharaohs sought physical immortality through mummification, but this too proved elusive. Tutankhamen has not reappeared to lecture on the 18^th Dynasty. (2) Time is dynamic and stationary at the same moment. There is always a future until we die that is, and yet the present is the only reality that we can really know, for it is now.

 

If we remove the fear from dying, we are liberated to be truly alive. At birth, we are given two bequests: the legacy of a commodity that includes minutes, hours, days, etc. and the one that includes its termination. The one I can manipulate and modify, the other just is. Which should I focus my efforts on? The logical answer would appear to be relatively straightforward, but sadly no, not for many people! Few individuals seem to grasp the amazingly immense power of time. I am greatly troubled when I stand at a bus stop or go to a gym. We are addicted to wasting time. The usage of the cell phone has become our biggest escape from dealing with time: “my time,” not yours, but mine. But, of course, you can’t feel my pain: can you? No I can’t. Recently, when I was in Canada, I took the opportunity to speak to a man begging for funds. I have mentioned these conversations before, but they always stun me, so I will relate one, once again.

 

It was a particularly brilliant winter’s morning, crisp and cool, but alive. The air appeared to sparkle with energy. I walked rather hurriedly along a busy street. Just outside this elegant neo-Gothic (3) bookstore stood this rather disheveled man, cap in hand, requesting coins. The juxtaposition of wealth and poverty was quite glaring. I had to stop and have the conversation, which I am sure the respondent had had many, many times before. The net result left both parties feeling misunderstood. I, for one, simply could not understand how you could not see the exciting value in life and its multitude of potentialities and opportunities. The poor man could not understand how I could not identify with his endless stream of bad luck, broken relationships, and addictions. But, I couldn’t, and I can’t. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (4) describes this most aptly in his poem A Psalm of Life:       

 

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream!

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem.

 

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

  Was not spoken of the soul.

 

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each to-morrow

Find us farther than to-day

 

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

And our hearts, though stout and brave,

Still, like muffled drums, are beating

Funeral marches to the grave.

 

In the world’s broad field of battle,

In the bivouac (5) of Life,

Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

Be a hero in the strife!

 

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!

Let the dead Past bury its dead!

Act,— act in the living Present!

Heart within, and God o’erhead!

 

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time;

 

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

 

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

 

One of the greatest dilemmas facing modern pedagogy is its inability to convey the intrinsic value of life. This concept appears to be old fashioned when placed against a device that can instantly deliver all the knowledge in the world: all of the knowledge and nothing of its wisdom – what a paradox! The answer is to continue to speak about this issue. Do not give up: do not let it go away. This is the main motivation behind our DBA website (DBAWageslave.com). Mankind is not a vicious, violent species, but a loving, kind and thoughtful one. If, however, we allow the forces of “dark” to consume us, they will. The upcoming religious festivals of Easter and of Passover take note of the hopefulness of humanity, not its primal underpinnings. Ask yourself: “When was the last time I was shot, stabbed or blown up?” I am sure that on virtually all occasions, you will answer in the negative: “Never!” How then do I, “personally,” know that the world is a violent and dangerous place? I don’t is the only honest answer. The news media would have us believe something totally different. Who controls the information stream and what is their agenda are not ridiculous questions, are they? To not be some unfortunate man outside a bookstore, we have to learn to think: critical thinking is a learned skill that anyone can acquire. It is not only the province of the good looking and well educated. It is the birthright of every human being. The great polymath Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) leaves us with a thought: The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder’s lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately.

 

A closing thought: It is essential that we as citizens, educators and parents “push back” against the scourge of the Internet Age. Technology is an immense blessing that has changed the lives of multitudes of human beings. It cannot, however, be allowed to submerge the human mind and our attendant intellectual liberty into a vacuous spiritual and mental abyss.    

 

To sum up: This week we spoke about time and its inherent value. Due to the fact that we do not feel the passage of time, we do not give it the merit that it deserves. We quoted a famous poem that describes the passage of time and the mission of life.

 

An amusing occurrence: Recently, I accompanied my friend, along with his first-born son, to a local maternity ward. His wife was giving birth to their second child. Everyone was very excited about the new baby. This was not the case with the older boy, however. He took one look at the newborn and in his childlike voice said, “Take it back!”   

 

This week, please reflect on how you conceive of time.

 

Every day look for something magical and beautiful.

Quote: Time is our greatest pleasure and yet to many its most feared passing: why?

 

Footnotes:

1)   Doctor Faustus 

2)   8 things you (probably) didn’t know about Tutankhamun

3)   The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture: From the Gargoyle to the Flying Buttress

4)   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

5)  bivouac