“But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day.”
We have rejoined the world. The doors and windows are open to the breeze. The stale air is disappearing. It is still hot but not unbearably hot. Here in the dark den all three animals are sleeping near me, each in her special spot. The breeze is coming mostly from the north, from the window behind me. Pleasant best describes the morning. I usually shy away from using generic adjectives. I was, after all, an English teacher, but I think pleasant conjures all the best of today: the sun, the clean, dry air and most of all the breeze.
When I was a kid, I had little concept of time other than a few minutes, an hour and maybe as far away as tomorrow. “Are we there yet?” drove my father and every father crazy, but it was because we had been in the car for what seemed like hours or even days so we figured we had to be there no matter how far away there was. We had countdowns to birthdays and the best of all days, Christmas, but the whole concept was a little blurry. Three weeks until Christmas really didn’t mean a whole lot to us. Even the number of days in three weeks didn’t help. We understood two days or maybe three days, but we never really caught on until the big day was close, like a day away. When you’re six, every day is endless.
Time in Ghana was frustrating at first. Six o’clock meant six o’clock to us but not to a Ghanaian to whom six o’clock meant whenever. If I invited someone to my house, I was always asked if I meant African or European time. I had been raised to be punctual, a courteous sign of respect, so it took me a while to unlearn European time. I learned to be patient and to wait. People would come in their own time. Lorries would leave when they were full. Stores would open when the owners got there. Dresses would be finished when the seamstress got around to finishing them.
I had to be on time for my classes and to take the government bus, but that was it. I came to like Ghanaian time. I was never late to anything. Things got done whenever. Life was slow and easy. I didn’t even wear a watch, still don’t.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: holidays, hours, minutes, opened windows and doors, Peace Corps Ghana
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August 20, 2015 at 2:10 pm
I think that the only thing I counted down to was christmas just because of the christmas calendar, usually filled with chocolate 🙂 Othwersie, as You say, I really didn’t understand time.
I never asked if we were there yet since I knew it drove whom ever was driving insane, instead I asked how far it was toour destination. The question was just as annoyimng really but still was a better choise 🙂 To be honest, I wouldn’t understand how far away we were anyway but I did realise the lower numbers the closer we got 🙂
Today has ben rather nice, again and thankfully it will stay this way until after the weekend. It is dry here now so I have started to water my plants, the first time this summer 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
August 20, 2015 at 3:34 pm
Hi Christer,
I remember that calendar but the days still didn’t mean so much but the chocolate did!
We tell distance in time here. If you asked my brother-in-law in Colorado how far he’d tell you miles. Here we’d say an hour or so. It is difficult to explain except to say it’s a New England thing.
I just turned on my AC!!
August 20, 2015 at 2:43 pm
Hi Kat
I’ve always run on Caryn Time. It’s sort of like Ghanaian time but not so open-ended. Other people would say it means that I am usually a little late.
Lately I’ve come to suspect that there is some kind of time sink between my kitchen and my jeep. It should only take a minute to walk from the kitchen to the jeep. Somehow it manages to take 10 or 15 minutes. I’m sure it has nothing to do with two little dogs trying to help me. 🙂
I have not checked the outside since this morning. It wasn’t all that pleasant at 8AM. It’s sunny with a breeze. The AC has been running more often than not so far today. Maybe I can open the windows later on.
Enjoy the day.
August 20, 2015 at 3:39 pm
Hi Caryn,
I had a friend who was always late. When I invited guests for dinner, including my friend, I hated holding everyone else up for her so I started without her. She was unhappy. I explained I said dinner at 6, not 7 or 8.
I am prompt to things especially dinners and such because I cook and know the clock rules the meal.
The day was lovely then I had to go out for a Dr.’s app’t. When I got home, it was hot so on went the AC.
Have a cool evening!
August 21, 2015 at 11:45 am
I’m never late for a meal someone else is cooking for me. 🙂
August 21, 2015 at 12:03 pm
That’s a smart thing!!
August 20, 2015 at 11:32 pm
Time always goes by too slowly when anticipating an event and flies by too quickly while the event is in progress. I don’t know where the time has gone during the last fifty years. I couldn’t wait to graduate from school and get my career going and now that I look back the good times didn’t last long enough. I Googled the scientific definition of time and discovered how difficult a concept time is to grasp.
My mother in law is always late and I never pass up an opportunity to tell her that she will probably be late for her own funeral. 🙂
Today we had a reprieve from the summer with a low temperature in the mid 70s and a high of 85 with some rain. The first rain in 42 days.
August 21, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Bob,
When you’re little, time is so very difficult to gauge because little kids live day by day and everything else seems so far away.
When I look back, I am happy with the life I’ve had. It has been an adventure in many ways. I feel lucky.
Lateness is impolite to all the people kept waiting. I learned to start meetings on time even if only a few people were there. It isn’t right to punish the punctual because of latecomers. I have always adhered to that.
I have windows opened but it is warm.