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Showing posts from May, 2006

Elastic Time

Imagine a barren country road. You are atop a solitary tree. Your friend is standing at the base of the tree. Passing in front of the tree is a lonesome country road. You yell out to your friend: I see a car coming. Your friend says: I don't see any car! To you the car is in the Present. To him it is in the Future. Then the car comes into sight. Your friend and you both see it. It has become the Present for both of you. Then the car passes. Your friend yells: I can't see the car anymore. You yell back: I can see it still. The car has become the Past for him while it remains in the Present for you. Finally, you lose sight of the car. It becomes the Past tense for both of you. Two conclusions: One, time is relative and the past, present and future tenses are elastic. Two, it is possible that for some people who have a very "high" overview - or who can view the phenomenal world dispassionately from afar - to them, what was, is; what is, is and what will be, is.

Nursery mantra

Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream.