Ok. I'll give an example of nonlinear time.
  We use it all of the time.
  Civilizations.
  It follows a pattern of the birth/life/death cycle, rather than
  dots on a very long line.

  It's not that we CAN'T place civilizations or lives on a
  singular line stretching all the way back and all the way
  forward with today as a dot...

  but it missing a lot of information that way.