We always see Time as this passing thing, the clock ticking, the days going by, never having enough of it, wanting to go back and change it. In a way we always feel like it’s something we’re against, because we can’t stop it. But what if Time was simply something we didn’t understand how to use?
What if Time wasn't something that passes us by, but something that passes into us, absorbed by us like a flower absorbs the energy from the sun. Emotions, feelings, all the moments and events of our lives, stored like energy inside of us.
Imagine one of those times when we've were out with our friends, and we've spent the whole Time laughing and joking. One of those times when we laughed so hard we couldn’t breathe, and even ended up involuntarily snorting like a pig at some point. One of those times when we weren't thinking about Time and how it's passing us by, but were just being there in that moment, taking it all in. Without even realising it we were absorbing all that good energy, all those amazing feelings and emotions, into our body, storing them for later. Then maybe we come home to our girlfriend/boyfriend, roommate or parents, and they ask us about our day, or something randomly makes us remember those moments. When we do, suddenly all that Time we've unconsciously stored up inside ourselves, the energy from that moment, is released again and we feel that uncontrollable laughter pool again in our chest, maybe looking like a crazy person as the Time that passed into us takes us back there, and we end up snorting like a pig again, lost in the giggles.
We’ve all experienced this moment of Time coming rushing back at us, bringing the essences of a certain moment back to life inside ourselves. Now we might say this is simply memory, but what are memories if not a recollection of Time stored inside our brains?
We’ve all had those moments when we look back and realise that we didn’t spend enough Time with a loved one, and suddenly they are not around anymore, moved away or even passed away, and we’re sad because there is an emptiness inside us. Maybe that emptiness is the missing Time, the space inside ourselves that we unconsciously kept for them to fill, but in all our occupied, busyness, we failed to let them pour their Time into us.
When we spend Time around good people, or those who touch us deeply in some way, we have this uplifting feeling inside ourselves after, this energy stored in our body that flows through us like a drug in our system, making everything around us seem brighter and more full of life.
What if we imagined ourselves as a vessel that stores Time, how much would we stop and savour everyone second of every moment that we had? Breathing it, tasting it, hearing it, touching it, seeing it, smelling it, taking it all into ourselves.
How slow would we kiss each other, not wanting to rush into the act of sex, but wanting to feel and consume every ounce of the feeling and pleasure that overcomes us in those moments of love and passion, so we could recall them later?
How many Times would we exchange communicating with friends and loved ones over pinging text messages, written in broken English, for the more fulfilling experience of being in each other's presence?
Would we still run to get on that packed train? Absorbing into ourselves the minutes of feeling cramped and unable to breath, as the train goes from stop to stop. Or would we stay on the platform, letting the packed train go by and instead take into ourselves a moment to breath, relax and simply enjoy having a little space.
Would we continue to stare into our phones and laptops while on long journeys through country sides? Or would we fight for the window seat to take in the scenery?
How much more Time would we take to listen to music?
How much more Time would we spend eating good food?
How much less Time would we spend eating lunch at our desks, shivering in the cold just to smoke a cigarette, or arguing over things that don't truly matter?
Imagine it, constantly storing as much positive energy in ourselves as possible, having it there, waiting to be released, until those stores of energy becomes like streams flowing within us, constantly replenished by our ability to be in the moment, to not let Time pass us by, but to absorb every ounce of it.
We’ve always been obsessed with capturing Time, through videos, photos, drawings, recordings. We’re constantly trying to store Time as a physical thing, as something we can hold and rewind. But maybe we’re naturally built for it. Maybe Time isn’t, and will never be, something we can hold, but is something we can absorb.
If we imagine Time like this then all Time would be enough Time because every passing moment would be a precious moment you are storing inside yourself for later.
So imagine it, if this is how Time worked, what would you do with it?