Time is relative

Another Rotary Invocation - November 2013

When Greg Albright sent me an email last week reminding me about this week's duty to present another invocation I was a little surprised. I had intended to pass it off to another member because I was involved with a CE !"et event in Carmel on the same day . . . and I had #ust given an invocation. I was stumped for a sub#ect. $he end of %aylight &aving $ime last weekend gave me the idea to talk about time. Ever since I was a boy I've been fascinated with time. (ack then) science could tell time to the millionth of a second. "ow) we keep it to better than a trillionth. *or comparison) light travels about one foot in one nanosecond + one billionth of a second. G,& and the Internet can't work if clocks are wrong by #ust a few of them. We've gone from telling time by the change in the colors of the seasons to telling time by the change in the color of light that reaches us from the stars. -ost of us live minute to minute. (y comparison an impossibly vast amount of time + if you're a computer. It's all relative. Einstein) the e.pert of relativity) noted the time you spend with a pretty girl is relatively short when compared to the time you spend sitting on a hot stove + though both time periods may be the same. Everyone wants to save time + but there is no hoarding it. $ime is the great e/uali0er. Everyone has less than they need) but according to Chief 1ed 2acket) of the &i. "ations of "ew 3ork) everyone has all there is. $ime and tide wait for no man. I see time pass in the birthdays of my grandchildren. I wonder if they reali0e those 4endless days' til Christmas) til &pring) til birthdays) til whatever will someday pass like ice melts in hot tea. 5ook away and it's gone. 6ow to make time slow7 I've found one way8 live today. $he setting of appointments and anniversaries is particularly problematic. 5ike the time between them is 4fly over country.' 5acking an e.cuse to pay attention) time filled with work) we compress away those spaces like 4filler)' and lose the time to anticipation. liver Wendell 6omes) the astute early 9:th century &upreme Court 2ustice said8 4I do despise making the most of one's time. 6alf of the pleasure of life consists of the opportunities one has neglected.' 45ife is What 6appens $o 3ou While 3ou're (usy -aking ther ,lans)' wrote a more contemporary artist of our language) 2ohn 5ennon. $ime is too slow for those who wait) too swift for those who fear) too long for those who grieve) too short for those who re#oice) but for those who love) time is eternity; %r. &euss said8 <6ow did it get so late so soon7 It's night before it's afternoon. %ecember is here before it's 2une. -y goodness how the time has flewn. 6ow did it get so late so soon7= ; 6enry >an %yke