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Kitchen Table Kibitzing January 8, 2023 [1]

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Date: 2023-01-08

KTK

Moving Along

The time which has passed since the beginning of the pandemic seems to have passed in the blink of an eye, both to me and my acquaintances. We tend to be older, and experts say our perception of time greatly changes as we age, which makes certain periods feel like they go by quickly. Our brains lump time together when the days or weeks are similar. So for an 80-year-old who largely does the same thing every day, the year is going to blend together in their mind and feel like it went by quickly.

“Our brains are designed to record change,” said Adrian Bejan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University and the author of the recent book “Time And Beauty: Why Time Flies And Beauty Never Dies.” The many experiences young children have in a day (such as learning new things at school, going to ballet class or visiting a new friend’s house) contribute to the notion that time is more plentiful and more activities can fit into that time. Therefore, when looking back, time may feel slower. This can apply to adults, too. When we look back on a time period that was filled with lots of new experiences, “we see [a] large expense of events and memories, and that makes it seem like time stretches out ... and it feels very long,” Lustig said. If you’re not introducing new patterns into your life, time can feel like it’s going by much quicker overall.

One possible way to slow down the perception of time passage is is to experience things that are new and out of your usual regimen. During the pandemic this option was limited, we were in survival mode. Excitement was scoring some toilet paper.

We use paper calendars, and try to record every event, which nowadays is mostly Kaiser appointments. But we record restaurants, visits, Zoom meetings, travel getaways, and more. Our routine for years has been to sit back with the calendar and a glass of wine at the end of the year, and review the year. We just did this, and it was enlightening. We had forgotten so many things we had done, and it turned our perceptions of time into good memories of a year well spent.

I know many folks keep calendars and reminders on electronic devices, but they are ephemeral, which is why I recommend the paper calendar.

Any other suggestions for slowing the passage of time would be welcome. We’re all on borrowed time as it is.

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