KATHERINE NEVILLE’S
‘Tempus Fidgets’ Newsletter
December 22, 2022
Tempus Fugit
Time Flies (or ‘Flees’ like a Fugitive) as Virgil pointed out: in Latin, Tempus Fugit. But there are different kinds of Time. There is Chronos–chronological time–the number of hours, minutes, and seconds on record since we first began recording them.
Then there is Kairos–the opportune moment, the turning point. The ancients said, this is the moment when the arrow leaves the bow, when the shuttle passes through the loom, the instant when the tide is about to turn, and your ship must be prepared to go with it…
How Old Are You?
As we pass on our voyage from birth to death, we experience different kinds of Time, which we call “Age.” Since we first emerged from the womb, until this moment, there is also elapsed time that we call Chronological Age. Then there is Biological Age–the age your doctor, after doing all these tests, tells you that you seem to have. He/she says: “You may be one hundred, but you have the body of a thirty-year-old!” And then there is Psychological Age–the age that you, yourself, feel you are, when you wake up each morning. (In this category–as I’ve recently discovered–I’m actually a Millennial!)
Carpe Diem
The late Dr Karl Pribram, who spent 96 productive years on this planet, often used to expedite his voyages around the globe, by saying to his students and colleagues “Tempus Fidgets”–meaning “Time is getting restless, just waiting for us.” Which is another way of saying, “get a move on”: Carpe Diem: “Seize the Day.”
So as 2023 approaches (chronologically) let’s make use of these last ten days to unload our ballast, lift our anchor, and sail out of that sleepy harbor into the unknown with a light heart and all sails filled. It’s about Time!
Happy New Year!!!
