My Interpretation of Time(Assignment for 15th of September)

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While reviewing both articles (by Michael A. Lombardi & J.J. O'Connor and E.F. Robertson), I was surprised by how much of our present-day timekeeping is shaped by historical accidents and practical choices rather than logical reasoning. It is intriguing to realize that I always thought the categorization of 60 seconds making 1 minute, 60 minutes making 1 hour, 24 hours making a day, and 365/366 days making a year was universal. However, the articles reveal that these structures are cultural inventions that became global standards.

Personally, I don’t see time as a rigid movement dictated by the clock. Instead, I view it as an everyday pattern of life. Back in Nigeria, a year is fundamentally divided into two parts: the rainy and the dry season. We plan our lives around these seasons, determining when farmers should plant and harvest their crops, as well as when to stay away from the fields. I often realized the importance of time when I had to navigate the structured educational system and began working with my certificates.

The inconsistencies in both articles prompted me to reflect on the fact that while we depend on precise measurements to coordinate life, our human experiences of time don’t always align with the clock. For example, the dry season has always seemed longer than the rainy season due to its significant impact on daily life in Nigeria. When I arrived in Canada on December 30, 2024, I was greeted by harsh cold, and then I experienced summer from May to August. Now it feels like we’re quickly heading back to the cold.

Both articles highlight the creativity of past civilizations in establishing standard units over time, while daily living shows that time is also deeply felt through cycles of weather, school, and light.’

 

 

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