Iannuccilli: Trying to Understand Time

Iannuccilli: Trying to Understand Time

I received quite a number of responses following my last article about the aging process.  As I think about it, I am trying to understand the concept of time. Not so easy. Coincidentally, I recently read a National Geographic article which suggests that “to be human is to migrate through time.” Well, what do they mean?

Does time really flow? When I try to think of it with physics or space, my mind freezes. I cannot seem to grasp the concepts that Einstein did so easily. (Well, he was THE genius).  As I write, every stroke of the pen suggests that time is passing from one word to the next. Can you feel it as you work, play, read, etc.?

Time controls me. I have a deadline to submit an article every week. The week flies. In my career, I was early to the hospital and early for every meeting. I never could help being neurotic. A banker once said to me, “If you want the winter to pass quickly, take out a ninety-day note.” Yep, that concept I understand.

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Einstein's insights from special relativity provide evidence that time does not flow. There he goes again.  I don’t get that. I read as much as I can, I think about it often, but I cannot grasp Einstein’s theories. So I hark back to an article I wrote some years ago about what time and “a time” meant to Italian families.  Time was something different, understood though almost indefinable. Here’s a common conversation:

“In school they told us drinking is bad. Do you drink, Dad?”

“Drink? Me? Noooo. Well, I might have a beer if I’m at a ‘Time’.”

“A ‘Time’?” What’s that?”

“You know. Where lots of people get together … eat, drink, talk about you, hug and kiss you and give you gifts. Now you can say they gave you a ‘Time’. And they say, “What a ‘Time’ it was!” Now, do you understand?”  “Nope.”

“Try this. A ‘Time’ is what happens after someone graduates, has an anniversary, or gets married.”

“Oh. Now I think I understand. People come for you. They dress up, eat, drink, talk around and sometimes they’re just there.”

“Yeah, and they leave a gift like a Cross Pen and Pencil set. Or rosary beads.”

“Yeah, I like that. So you can have a ‘Time’ at any time, right?”

“Well almost, but not really. You have to do something, like receive your First Communion, or die.”

“OK. And the ‘Time’ is at a special time of day, right?”

“Right.”

And the timing for the ‘Time’ has to be timed for you and what you did, right?”

“Right.”

And you just can’t have a ‘Time’ any old time, right?”

“Right. Now you get it.”

“Yep, now I get it. I’m getting dressed. Let’s go to a ‘Time’.”

“You’re timing is perfect.”

“Thanks, Dad. Wait. One other thing. I’ll bet they gave Einstein quite a ‘Time’ when he discovered that stuff about time.”

“Right again.”

“Then let’s go. We’re off to a ‘Time’.”

 

Ed Iannuccilli is the author of "Growing up Italian" and "What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner?" and "My Story Continues"  can be found here.