speed of time

time has a speed, doesn't it? every second, in theory, is the same as every other second (let's say we are all on earth, ignoring the theory of relativity for a moment here)

even then, time does slow, and we know it. when we're waiting for the results of an operation of a loved one. when there's absolutely nothing left to do in the office but to count the minutes left. when there's still ten minutes left on the stairmaster display and we are just dying to stop.

even when we're doing nothing during vacation, time seems to fly. as well as that first date. and that great show. and any of those times it seemed like we were doing something that meant something.

one of the things to slow down time seems to be pain. so on the contrary, happy times speeds up time.

which is a bit ironic, given that we'd rather have the painful times go quickly and the happy times go slowly.

in the long run

in the long run, we're all dead. this is a pretty well known quote by economists (attributed to Keynes), what is probably lesser known is the quote that preceded it: that the long run is a misleading guide to current affairs.

therein lies one of the key issues of my little quest. how far down the road do we look? in the long run, yes, we no longer exist (ignoring heaven, afterlives and reincarnation for the time being). in the medium run, serving humanity is one of my goals. in the short run, i am worrying where my next paycheck is coming from and where, if anywhere at all, my career is going. the problem is the medium run journey involves a bit of risk and one would hope to have a little bit of financial security before embarking on it. perhaps ironically, the people that need help do not have this benefit - the longer one takes, the later they get help.

if our current existence as we know it are in fact only a small portion of our larger existence, which way does the balance tip?

perhaps it's time to actually do the "time left" thought experiment. how would you live your life, if you had a week left? three months? a year? three years? ten years? thirty?