Time (The Inexorable Flow)

“The fact is, the Time Traveller was one of those men who are too clever to be believed: you never felt that you saw all round him; you always suspected some subtle reserve, some ingenuity in ambush, behind his lucid frankness.” 
― H.G. Wells, The Time Machine

Hello, World!

This first post revolves around aspiration. The quote above is from one of my favorite works of literature, a choice shared by my lovely wife. If I were to use the above description of the Time Traveller to describe myself not only would it be arrogant but also a gross overestimation of myself as well. Instead it is something I aspire to, I wish to be the Time Traveller in a sense. Allow me to elaborate.

Dullness is a quality most people would loath to be described by. Nevertheless it is found too often in individuals who have the potential to be quite bright. A complacent mind is left undefended against dullness which seeks to quell fresh thought and innovative ideals. But even an individual who has a great mass of knowledge can fall prey to this stagnation of the mind. It furtively creeps in after the toils of the day have worn down your defenses. When the last thing you want to do is think, relaxation and even vegetation are sought. Even the sharpest mind will grow dull if allowed to rust in this manner. Not that relaxation and a brief reprieve are evils, but if these things are allowed to dominate our lives and especially our thoughts it will bring about an unpleasant result. Our days become consumed with the minutiae of work and we drearily plow on thinking only of the next break. Afterwards we find solace in the comfort of home by placing ourselves in front of the television watching pointless drivel. Obviously not everyone succumbs to this, but it is so easy to find yourself in this position where life is just flowing past you and you wake up and a year has passed leaving you unchanged...

“We should strive to welcome change and challenges, because they are what help us grow. With out them we grow weak like the Eloi in comfort and security. We need to constantly be challenging ourselves in order to strengthen our character and increase our intelligence. ” 
― H.G. Wells, The Time Machine

Time is an unceasing flow which can whisk us away under the current of triviality if we are not vigilant. If we allow ourselves to whither intellectually by continually shortening our attention spans and feeding ourselves with junk-food entertainment then we will decay into oblivion. Our lives will become meaningless shells of instant gratification with no lasting thing to cling to on our death beds. Nothing has to be tedious, our minds can always be turning and working and learning. Every moment has an opportunity to change either your own life or the life of someone else. Live with intention and rest productively. When I am tired I want to read a history book. When I am mentally fatigued by work I want to cook dinner with my family instead of watch television. When I am stressed because of life I want to go on a flower walk in the field with my future daughter. I want to fill my life with meaningfulness so that at its end I can look back and be pleased at not only the person I have become but the lives I have changed.

I want to be the Time Traveller. Yes, I want to be ingenious, deep, and even brilliant. But even more, I wish to leave a lasting impression on this world. History is lost, works decay, structures rust, but people live on. I will strive to be the kind of person who is remembered for the compassion of their soul, not simply for the depth of their mind. Though since the two are inextricably intertwined I will pursue both simultaneously while pondering the universe in all its splendor...

Will you join me?