Do you wear a watch on your wrist? I do. It has been my main accessory since I can remember. “The happy do not measure time” – my classmates would often tell me when I asked them why they were not wearing a watch. “Yes, but is that also why you are disrespectful and late for everything?” In today’s day and age, many people ditched the wrist watch for a smartphone. Even though I understand that having something on your wrist can bother you, but I do not understand how continuously looking at your phone is any better. You can look at your wrist more discretely than at your phone. But to each their own.
Over the weekend, I stumbled upon a Youtube video promoting a Chrome plug-in, which is meant to keep you motivated. How? Well, thanks to it, every time you open a new tab in your browser, you will see your age down to the minute. It is meant to show you that every passing minute brings you closer to death, Ideally, that should motivate you to do whatever it is that needs doing NOW. There is no time to waste. While I agree that time is precious, I do not like such an intense approach. Being aware of each passing minute just makes me more nervous and stressed. Instead of focusing on the moment, I pass it thinking of the end.
Sommarøy is a Norwegian island, where people are trying to abolish time. When I first read the headline, I was not sure what to expect. “How can that be?” – I asked. The reason why the residents of the island want to get rid of the concept of time is to… have more time. They argue that the constraints of time turned us into robots fulfilling various tasks and checking them off the list without being spontaneous, doing what we want and actually living. The island is located North of the Arctic circle and is inhabited by around 320 people. They say that living without time is something they have done for generations.
From November to January, the sun does not rise on the island. From mid May to almost the end of June, it does not set. That allows people to be out and about in the middle of the night in the summertime. CNN reports that: “Islanders hope to be free of traditional opening hours and to introduce flexibility in school and working hours.” The leader of the Time Free Zone campaign thinks that: “If you want to cut the lawn at 4 am, then you do it.“
The idea seems outrageous at first. How would you know when the bus is to arrive at your stop? Or when the store opens? Or when you should go to school? We NEED time. Also, our body is a giant clock. It does not only tick for women and their fertility. Our organs are dependent on the circadian rhythm, which runs in 24 hour increments.
When faced with such issues, the proponents of the time free zone admit that what they are trying to do is give themselves some flexibility. They see people rushing everywhere. Burning out. They do not want that and so they are trying to take some drastic measures.
I feel that, like with anything, we need to find the golden medium when it comes to time. We should not waste it, but we should also savor all the non-negative moments. If you do not have a constricting schedule, stop and smell the roses, but if you agreed to meet someone at a specific time, try to be there at that time. You do not like being rushed? Well, other people do not like idly sitting and waiting for you to finally show up. Do not waste other people’s time.
What would you do if you saw no sun for a couple of months?
What would you do if the sun did not set for a couple of months?
Stay golden,
***
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Not sure what Id do, but spending some time in Alaska might give me some ideas about sunlight and darkness.
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Is that where you live?
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No but I’d like to visit Fairbanks Alaska. The day and nights are 24 hours long.
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That sounds like something I could enjoy – I like to sleep (more than I am usually allowed to be a productive member of society). Plus 24h of sunlight gives you so much more time to actually be productive, have fun and rest, too.
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I agree there needs to be a happy medium. I have not wore a watch for many years (since I quit working) nor have I set an alarm. Our schedule mostly revolves around the chickens. Their coop needs to be open when the sun comes up and closed when it gets dark.
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It sounds like pure bliss to me.
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Sounds like Sommarøy is bout to experience some swimming cramps (30 min – 1 hour before swimming) just sayin. The problem with these types of change is that they do not address the issue. Just like everyone clamoring about how horrible plastic is. Would I blame all the ass I chased in my youth for time lost? Another aspect of an affluent society that can no longer seem to prioritize, so instead they blame anyone and everything except for themselves. Humans by nature are addictive beings, we’ve been fighting the urges since the time of Eve, yet we continue to fool ourselves into absolving convenient sin from our lives, in the hopes of ascending to enlightenment. Do we do what feels right or do we do what is right?
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You definitely pose some interesting questions.
However, how would you feel if time wasn’t as important of a concept as it is nowadays?
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If time wasn’t an important concept, then where would the seasons come from? Seasons are a measure of time. What about statute of limitations? What about work schedules and school schedules? How would a person know when to wait for a bus or taxi? Would your flight be on time? How long should you bake or cook something without time? How would you make a reservation? How would you know how long your phone or car should take to charge?
I don’t know Goldie, maybe I’m mistaken, but it seems as if this idea of getting rid of time, hasn’t been thought out, perhaps they should take some more time to iron out the details.
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I don’t follow you when it comes to time and season. Seasons come and go. Why do I need to know that summer starts June 21st (in the Northern hemisphere)? I’ve been experiencing summer since February. Other places feel like summer has not arrived yet.
But I do agree with the rest of your questions. In fact, I asked the same. Those who want to “get rid of time” on that island argue that it really is flexibility that they want. I agree – I wouldn’t mind if certain things were less rigid. Why is it so important that you start work at 8 and not at 8.30? But then I realize human nature – exploit any and every thing. People already do not care and are late in so many different aspects of their lives. If there was no time, that would be madness.
It upsets me sometimes how there aren’t all that many repercussions for people being late/ not paying attention to time.
I liked your closing zinger.
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Ha, thanks Goldie. Yeah, maybe I’m wrong about seasons. All of these “movements” just seem like schemes more than anything else to me. Scratching a current itch over true individualism and responsibility.
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I can agree with that. It seems like the main goal is to become instantly famous. For whatever reason. For however long.
The island is aware of its tourism, which will certainly go up after this publicity stunt.
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Blame the internet for porn addiction, blame social media for low self esteem, blame plastics for pollution, blame sugar for obesity. Blame seems easily doled out when it’s never actually accepted by the individual.
Do people get cancer from cigarettes, or do people get cancer from smoking cigarettes?
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Totally.
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I have a cousin that lives in Wasilla, Alaska, a suburb of Anchorage. She has told me all about the sun that never sets in the summer and the, nearly, perpetual dark in the winter. A lot of folks up there suffer from SAD.
Our ancestors knew time by the movement of the sun and did a lot of life via the moon phases (thanks to Pope Gregory XIII, thirteen years were deleted and we are stuck with leap years). Tick tock on the clock is a modern pain in the ass. And, this daylight savings time nonsense…please let it die.
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I’m fully aware of SAD and prevalent it is among people who live in the deep North. I NEED sun to function. However, I think it would work quite alright if I didn’t have to do anything when it was dark.
I think we are on the right path to ridding ourselves of daylight saving, but I’m not sure what is taking so long.
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Except hibernate? You’d make a good bear.
[1] “But, the CHILDREN! They can’t go to the bus stop in the DARK!
[2] “I can’t go shopping after work in the DARK!”
*facepalm*
🙄
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Let’s go back to the Dark Ages. Dark means you sleep. Light means you do stuff.
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😆
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