In 2017, A Lot of Contemplation About Time
(日本語版あり)
Below is the letter that I enclosed in this year’s Christmas cards.
With the holiday season fast approaching, I hope you are in good spirits.
This past year, I thought about “time” quite a bit.
In June and September, two of my college roommates got married, and their wedding ceremonies became an occasion for the four roommates to get together for the first time in years. As we bantered much in the same way as we had in college, I had the greatly satisfying revelation that these kinds of friendship transcend the passage of time.
That, though, was a unique moment, for I felt the passage of time even more acutely in 2017 than in years past. A couple of years ago, I asked a relative of mine who acts far too old for his age what I can do to slow down the passage of time. Rather than respond, he wisecracked that the reason time moved so fast for me was because I looked forward to too many things. If I complain to him that 2017 went even faster than usual, no doubt he’ll quip that I’m enjoying my everyday far too much.
With that, I can’t disagree. Professionally, I’ve become so acclimated to Amazon that it’s hard to believe it’s only been a year and a half since I joined the company. In terms of hobbies, I finally found a partner with whom I can regularly play Japanese chess, overhauled my blog for the first time in eight years and volunteered at a campaign after the Japanese prime minister called snap elections, and in between, I enjoyed a lot of time with family and friends.
But as fulfilling as the year has been, I often found myself thinking about a line from “Timecop,” the classic 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. “There is never enough time,” Van Damme observes in the film, and it was hard for me to escape that feeling throughout the year. As much as I tried to make the most of every day, there were so many other things that I wanted to try, experience and do. On more than a few occasions, I became resigned, simply accepting as fact that there will always be things that I wish I could do but “time” simply won’t permit.
This need not be so, of course. It may not be possible to go back in time à la “Timecop,” but it’s certainly possible to make better use of time yet to come. That doesn’t mean cramming more into the day, but rather to infuse a sense of purpose to “time,” ensuring that every moment is served to achieving some sort of a goal, whether big or small.
It’s uncharacteristic of me to be so reflective instead of active. In 2018, I`m hoping to put to good use the time I’ve spent contemplating this past year and have a year that is not only fulfilling but also quite purposeful.
I wish you a Merry Christmas, and may your 2018 be a fulfilling one.
