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March 11 is the kickoff this year for changing watches and clocks, including those in all the electronic gadgets we own. Some gizmos will do it automatically; for others, you're on your own. Now, where did I put that instruction manual?
People can't stop tinkering with time. Because we can't really create time we exert our control by trying to measure it. Take the calendar. Over the centuries people have come up with many variations to account for the 365-plus days it takes us to travel around the sun: hence, Leap Year. Did you know that under the ancient Roman calendar March was the first month? That's why September, October, November and December (our ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th months) have their linguistic roots in the Latin words for seven, eight, nine and 10.
We even talk about how we spend time as though it were a precious commodity which, indeed, it is. We find ourselves trying to get the most "bang for the buck" by multi-tasking even to the point of absurdity - or danger. I cringe when I see drivers not only eating snacks or tuning their radios, but also having cell phone conversations that are clearly more absorbing than any car or person on the road. At the office, I suspect most of us are not content to simply speak with someone on the phone when we can answer e-mail at the same time.
All this is part of our continuing efforts to control time, our own time. Remember the first line of the Jim Croce song, "If I could save time in a bottle...." But, of course, we can't and we know it. So we do the next best thing by getting through as many things as possible that we want - things that are part of our to-do list for our day or our life. Up to a point, I think that's a good thing. We do need plans and goals to accomplish our unique purpose in life.
Still, I have to believe that, while God expects us to use our time well, he also expects us to stay open to change, to our own many needs and the needs of those around us. There are times when the interruptions to our plans are the most valuable moments of all.
Think about it. You want to finish writing a report for work. Your kids want you to read them a bedtime story. You want to relax in front of the TV. Your best friend needs a heart-to-heart conversation. You want to live a long, healthy life. Your doctor tells you that you have cancer.
What's that saying, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans"?
Religious writer Father Ronald Rolheiser said this in his article "Interruptions, Our Real Work": "We have to always look for the hand of providence in our interruptions. These often constitute the conspiracy of accidents through which God guides our lives. If we were totally in control of our own agendas, if we could simply plan and execute our lives according to our own dreams, with no unwanted derailments, I fear that many of us would, slowly and subtly, become selfish and all too soon find our lives empty of the simple joys that come from real family and real community."
Let's not worry so much about saving time, or spending time or even wasting time. Let's just live it well.
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Dennis Heaney is the president of The Christophers.
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For a free copy of the Christopher News Note "Take care of yourself - Body, mind and soul," write: The Christophers, 12 East 48th St. New York, N.Y. 10017. or e-mail: mail@christophers.org.
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