Time

This artificial human construct of time, this idea of seconds and minutes and hours. This brainchild of humanity, this brilliant invention that lets us know our surroundings better, is also the very same element which locks us rigidly in place. It serves as a prison, constraining us to defined schedules and appointments, meetings and events that must be maintained.

The concept has become convoluted to the point of blasphemy. I rarely go anywhere without a watch or time-keeping device anymore. I begin to feel anxious about constantly being late or missing something important if I am not aware of the established time that governs where I need to be and what I need to do.

It can be argued that the idea has overrun its boundaries of efficiency and usefulness, and entered into a tract of intrusion and annoyance. We are ruled by this artificial structure that we set up for ourselves. There is no absolute time in the universe, there is nothing that tells us humans that we must wake up precisely at 7:00 am on a given day to be somewhere. The universe and, for the most part, the rest of humanity couldn't care less.

So why do we confine ourselves to this rigid spectrum of existence, this element with highly restricted fragments of so-called "free" time for us to exercise our will. There is absolutely no necessity for any of this. And yet here we remain, perhaps only because we know of no better way, perhaps because we are afraid to upset the current system. Either way it still holds this ominous sway over our lives.

Thus I sit, with 74 days of this defined time hanging over me. It is all on a schedule. It is all something I have no power over, no choice but to obey. These are going to be 74 of the less-than-pleasant days of my life. They are going to drag by slowly and agonizingly because I realize that this is the last place I want to spend that time.

But some higher authority told me that I had 74 days to fill, so here I am, filling the next 74 days with as much nonsense as I can to keep my mind off of just how badly I want them to pass already. Life is one hell of a convoluted mess.