Sunday, January 03, 2010

Changing the Numbers


Isn't it great to be able to say twenty-ten, instead of the mouthful of two-thousand-and-nine, and all the previous year incarnations up 'til the end of the decade?

I remember when I was a little girl watching some programme on the TV, in the seventies, about what life might be like post-millenia, and seeing a picture of the then-BBC-newsreader Richard Baker put through special ageing makeup in order to see what he'd look like thirty or forty something years from then. Basically it was just a grey wig they used, plus some crow's feet around the eyes. I remember thinking that it was a long time away to me, a little girl - but look how the years have just plinkity-plinked past. Jeepers, I didn't even feel that last decade at all, at all.
All this is by way of remarking on how quickly forty-two years have snuck past when I wasn't looking; somehow I don't think I'll feel the next forty-odd either. This time thing: you can waste it and spend it, some say you can even save it (but I've never seen a time bank, have you?) - but you can't keep it from flowing through your fingers - each day, each hour, each second - all those labels to help us move along our seven days, our months, our years... and time only ever moves one way. Time's slow arrow moves into a future that we cannot see - a little like shooting over your shoulder without taking aim. Hmm.

11 comments:

belle said...

Oh my! I had such a crush on Richard Baker when I was a little girl! I used to kiss the tele each evening ... ever one to be precocious ... ;o) Got to kiss him in real life too but as I was only about 5 I don't think it counts.

Dominic Rivron said...

And I don't feel 50-odd. We are pretty insigificant: mayflies in the great scheme of things.

Cheerful thoughts...

Rachel Fox said...

I know what you mean about the last decade...whoosh!
x

Rob said...

The worst thing, Barbara, is that - even knowing all this full well - I still waste an inordinate amount of time.

In the supermarket, I saw a magazine cover with Victoria Beckham on the front and a quote from her along the lines of 'I get slagged off a lot. But I'll still be around in 30 years' time!' She obviously has her strategy planned out, but I couldn't help considering that she could be six feet under by this time next year, and so could any of us.

Totalfeckineejit said...

Fex sake B, I'm bad enough already without ye putting the heebie geebies into me pickled worry box!

Happy New Year!

Unknown said...

Ah dear, TFE, I woz only saying :)

Rob, thing about Victoria is, well, once you're past it, you're past it. And so are we all.

Belle, I always loved Richard Baker too :) Much nicer than Kenneth Kendall! And nice to see you over here :)

Dominic, we are, we are indeed - such a short life-span, it's a miracle we ever get anything done, really.

Rachel, whoosh indeed!

Peter Goulding said...

Its quite a good idea though - a time bank. You could put all your spare time in it now and then collect in 20 years.
Though knowing my luck, it'd go bust...

Unknown said...

Or somebody would re-mortgage the mortgage you'd taken out on that time and sold it on to someone else... yes, I know, perhaps this is not such a good idea, Peter :)

apprentice said...

It goes by in a blink doesn't it. Especially after kids, I can't remember my thirties at all! I think we live in a interesting times straddling 1900/2000 and the pace of change in our lifetimes has been amazing. The Christmas TV etc made me realised that I'm actually happy to be the age I am and to have experienced the world as I have.

Rachel Fenton said...

So when I put my money in and the bank doesn't give me any of it back...it isn't buying time then?

Bugger.

Very eloquent this wordy time machine of yours though! Even if we all disappeared there'd be a few threads of us left for folks that were inclined to pick through...maybe even enough to knit into a time travel bobble hat! I'm good with pompoms if you do the knitting!?

Unknown said...

Pom-pom away dear Rachel, and we might just come up with a tea cosy between us: a tea cosy for time - I like it!

A, yes I think it is the kid thing that makes time flow faster - and they don't half grow quickly either. Janus not only of the month, but I guess on the decade too :)