I am from the school that believes time is a construct, an invention for our convenience, so we can have schedules, calendars, clocks and timetables. I have written elsewhere about time and how I regard it as a precious gift every day to be spent or invested however we choose. Years ago I had to be careful when someone said, "I didn't have time....." because so often I wanted to say, we all have the same amount of time. What you meant was you chose to do other things and postponed what didn't get done and that may be OK too. Or maybe not...
We live in Mexico and maybe the cultural descendants of the Mayans have influenced how people here regard time, very different from the U.S. where there seems to be more of an obsession about being "on time" and getting things done ASAP. Manána here dosen't necessarily mean tomorrow. It means maybe or whenever. ;-)
It's a cultural thing. A lot of countries and people are not as pressed for time as seems to be generally the case in the U.S and Switzerland where one of the jobs is to be sure the trains are always on time. Travel by air is often dictated by departure times and there are no guarantees about delays, cancelled flights and crowded lines for security and check-in. Travel on one's own is more reliable and relaxed in my years of experience.
I so resonate with trying to squeeze minutes longer and then running late... the tug and pull between lingering in moments and being “on time.” I appreciate that the Greeks had two different words to describe these two experiences of time: chronos (chronological time) and Kairos (pregnant, spacious time). Creating space and honoring kairos time has been a big part of my journey, and quite counter-cultural in task-oriented, progress-driven societies.
Such a beautiful piece! Thanks for sharing, I also find my own relationship with time a bit complicated and it's great to see someone else's thoughts on that!
The Maya view time as circular or spiral — not linear. Plus they have/had 28 calendars, so definitely obsessed with time. One of my favorite Maya scholar/anthropologists was Barbara Tedlock who wrote Time and the Highland Maya. She and her husband Dennis studied the Maya in Guatemala, eventually being accepted by the community and becoming day keepers, highly unusual for non-Guatemalans. If you ever feel like taking a deep dive into another 'time' zone, it's a great place to land for a while.
Thank you! I was in Guatemala in 1997 but not since! I’ve been working on a travel narrative from that trip. I’m going to look for that book. I appreciate your insight into the Maya!
She is phenomenal Jessica. Guatemala! So glad you've been there. The Highland Maya are the real time-keepers of the calendars along w/ the Lacandon in Chiapas, the last link to the ancient Maya, 500 or so strong. If you ever want to have a conversation, give me a shout. My favorite topic. Your narrative will be stunning I am sure!
Nice thoughts on time. One of the things I remember from grade school was the teacher telling us that time was one commodity that could never be recovered. She didn't use that word, of course. It is kind of a sad thought, but also one that advised us to savor time. Your thoughts are in line with that notion.
Thank you Jessica for giving me a real moment in time to read and reflect on things unspoken. Your thoughts shared offer me the opportunity to go into those mind spaces and remember forgotten truths. I am grateful.
I am from the school that believes time is a construct, an invention for our convenience, so we can have schedules, calendars, clocks and timetables. I have written elsewhere about time and how I regard it as a precious gift every day to be spent or invested however we choose. Years ago I had to be careful when someone said, "I didn't have time....." because so often I wanted to say, we all have the same amount of time. What you meant was you chose to do other things and postponed what didn't get done and that may be OK too. Or maybe not...
We live in Mexico and maybe the cultural descendants of the Mayans have influenced how people here regard time, very different from the U.S. where there seems to be more of an obsession about being "on time" and getting things done ASAP. Manána here dosen't necessarily mean tomorrow. It means maybe or whenever. ;-)
Thank you for this Gary! I love to travel and so appreciate the other ways of experiencing time. I think we are pretty messed up in the US!
It's a cultural thing. A lot of countries and people are not as pressed for time as seems to be generally the case in the U.S and Switzerland where one of the jobs is to be sure the trains are always on time. Travel by air is often dictated by departure times and there are no guarantees about delays, cancelled flights and crowded lines for security and check-in. Travel on one's own is more reliable and relaxed in my years of experience.
I so resonate with trying to squeeze minutes longer and then running late... the tug and pull between lingering in moments and being “on time.” I appreciate that the Greeks had two different words to describe these two experiences of time: chronos (chronological time) and Kairos (pregnant, spacious time). Creating space and honoring kairos time has been a big part of my journey, and quite counter-cultural in task-oriented, progress-driven societies.
I love this. Thank you! I remember hearing those words before but am so grateful to consider the concepts at this point in my life. Really useful!
Yes, definitely 🙏
Such a beautiful piece! Thanks for sharing, I also find my own relationship with time a bit complicated and it's great to see someone else's thoughts on that!
Thank you! Sincerely appreciate that you read and that it resonated.
The Maya view time as circular or spiral — not linear. Plus they have/had 28 calendars, so definitely obsessed with time. One of my favorite Maya scholar/anthropologists was Barbara Tedlock who wrote Time and the Highland Maya. She and her husband Dennis studied the Maya in Guatemala, eventually being accepted by the community and becoming day keepers, highly unusual for non-Guatemalans. If you ever feel like taking a deep dive into another 'time' zone, it's a great place to land for a while.
Thank you! I was in Guatemala in 1997 but not since! I’ve been working on a travel narrative from that trip. I’m going to look for that book. I appreciate your insight into the Maya!
She is phenomenal Jessica. Guatemala! So glad you've been there. The Highland Maya are the real time-keepers of the calendars along w/ the Lacandon in Chiapas, the last link to the ancient Maya, 500 or so strong. If you ever want to have a conversation, give me a shout. My favorite topic. Your narrative will be stunning I am sure!
Nice thoughts on time. One of the things I remember from grade school was the teacher telling us that time was one commodity that could never be recovered. She didn't use that word, of course. It is kind of a sad thought, but also one that advised us to savor time. Your thoughts are in line with that notion.
Thank you. I appreciate that your teacher conveyed that to you, and you remember the lesson!
Thank you Jessica for giving me a real moment in time to read and reflect on things unspoken. Your thoughts shared offer me the opportunity to go into those mind spaces and remember forgotten truths. I am grateful.
Aww. I am grateful for you. I’m so glad you are here, and that it resonated.