Time and Order

Time and Order

Irrational and abstract though they may be, time and order are constants in our lives.  We "watch the clock," we know that "time waits for no-one," and that the passage of time is a topic of great interest.  Especially around here.  We consider the order of things, such as birth order, the order of the planets,  batting order, and orders one must follow.

For some of us it easy to remember the heady days of the late 60's when some of us would sit around and ponder the time-space continuum.  There are subsequent generations sitting on campuses and in coffee shops having similar discussions, and have been both before and after then.

And then there are certain accepted facts.  Truisms we are taught or simply accept as life goes on.  We learn that change will occur, and it can be disruptrive or disconcerting.  Change can also be welcome.  Look at the year A-Rod is having so far!  Change can sometimes be confusing while not having much impact.  For instance, Pluto may have dropped out (or been kicked out) of the Big 9, but yet it seems people still refer to 9 planets.  It seems a safe bet that they aren't referring to that newly discovered Earth-like planet in that 9.

All of which brings us to making note of an e-mail I received earlier this week from my Canadian friend Marilyn.  E-mails from Marilyn are always interesting and often funny.  These days she lives in downtown Montreal, but when we first met she was a denizen of a "Greater Montreal" burb known as Chomedey.  Surely that made her, at least forever in my mind, a Chomedeyenne!

Here's what she sent the other day: 




At three minutes and four seconds after 2 AM


on the 6th of May this year


the time and date will be 02:03:04 05/06/07






This will never happen againÖ

So set your clocks, get your cameras ready.  This will be a special moment of time and order.