Story Arcs

Ellie is now two. 2. TWO! In some ways, the years seem to speed by, while at times, the world stands still. There was a radio show I listen to that tackled this subject of how we experience time. It came down to "arcs." Story arcs, that is. See, as youngsters, our story arcs are shorter. A trip to the store. A visit from a relative. A birthday party. The day the "chicks" visited.

As we get older, our story arcs get longer. The school year. The growing season. The work calendar. The countdown until 12-21-2012. The fashion fads of the year.

So, how do we slow things down on this speeding train. Well, we could get rid of the arcs in our adult lives and live from moment to moment, but that would be absurd not to mention a bit meaningless. Our "arcs" give our lives purpose. It sets goals for us to achieve. Milestones. No, we shouldn't give up our arcs anymore than a superhero giving up the quest to defeat his arch rival. Instead, I like to add to my arc snapshots. Moments in time where we can relish in static bliss. Like photographs of the mind. Not actual photos, but stopping for a moment to really focus on the moment. Setting aside the arcs of my life and putting all my energy into the moment in time.

We might not be able to stop time, but we can slow it down, if only for a moment.