Characters in Time

Does time move at a constant speed? The hands of a clock tell one story. Peoples perceptions tell another.

The following vignettes are fictitious but very telling about how we differ in our perceptions of time. By mixing and matching these characters, we can tell stories that illustrate how we get along and how we dont get along based on our own personal clocks and calendars.

Fred sits on his old beat-up porch chewing on a straw. The house he built looks quite delapitaded: the railing around the porch is busted, the brown paint has withered away; the single window has a hairline crack. Its a hot summer day in Oklahoma, not much different than the one yesterday or the one tommorrow, according to Fred, that is.

Looking at Fred, one gets the feeling hes been sitting on that porch all his life. He chews on a small branch from the nearby tree. A bird sings nearby. A butterfly dances merrily in the breeze. On the dusty road in front of Freds house, Little Johnny rides by on his bicycle. Johnny waves. Freds hand lifts off his knee in slow motion as he waves back. The sun is just setting. Just as a cloud rolls dreamily by, suddenly, a meteor slams into the cornfield across the road. In a flash, like the age of dinosaurs, Freds world is goneforever.

Catherine gets off the subway at Wall Street. She wrestles through the crowd as she does every morning. Working the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Catherine lives in a world where seconds mean money. She has no time for a husband.

A few blocks away a patient complains hes been waiting for over an hour. The nurse diplomatically explains the doctor will see him shortly.

In San Quentin, a man sits in his cell waiting for the priest. Hes never been religious, and sternly tells the priest there is no such thing as salvation. In 23 minuteshis life will end.

Its 3am in Los Angeles. A cop turns on his siren as another speeder whizes by 30 miles an hour over the speed limit.

In New York City, a developmentally retarded girl drops her books on the ground just as three of her classmates race by to see who gets to the classroom door first.

Benny never missed a single episode of Star Trek. Now that he owns the entire series on DVD, he can watch it whenever he feels like it.

Conseula pays her rent every month but never wears a watch. She watches soap operas and game shows for most of they day, waiting for her daughter to visit in the evening. She goes to bed every night at the same time without ever looking at a clock.

A hunter sits in a tree waiting for a deer.

A scientist calculates how long it takes for an electron beam to travel hundreds of miles in a newly built particle accelerator.

Two girlfriends hop a cap for a night out on the town. They plan to dance till dawn.

Jennifers dog was hit by a car. The little girl weeps in the waiting room as the vet works furiously to save the animals life.

A director has 3 days to finish the shoot or the movie studio will fire him. The movie is slated for release on Memorial Day and promoted as the summers biggest blockbuster.

Jeremy and Tony were separated from their Boy Scout troupe three days ago. The search party still searches the mountainside as a snowstorm develops in the West.

Ann and Roberts wedding went off like a charm, thanks to moms expert timing. The invitations were mailed out, the church and reception hall were scheduled, and the catering firm delivered both hot and cold food without a single complaint. The limo driver showed up a few minutes late, but everyone was in such a good mood, it didnt matter.

An archeologist in Montana discovers a skeleton of a dinosaur never before seen. The bones are sent to the lab for carbon dating.

Its 10 minutes before press time and the President does not have a prepared speech concerning the latest incursion in Iraq.

On this day, March 11, 2020, our baby spoke his first word: dog.

The meeting concerning the merger is at 9am, Monday morning. You better not be late.

Dolly Partons song, I Will Always Love You, plays in the background while Tim and Rosanne argue over who takes the kids to school in the morning.

The second time Olympic Gold Medal winner knew if she could shave just 5 seconds off her running time, she could break the world recordagain.

Rustys pole had been in the water for hours without a nibble. Rusty didnt care. With his arms folded behind his head and his feet up on the side of the boat, he didnt have a care in the world.

Gregorys plane was late. Once he arrived, he had 45 minutes to get downtown to meet his client. There wasnt a single cab available.

A.F. Colonel Jenkins spent 6 years flying fighter planes in Vietnam. After he retired, those 6 years were all he ever talked about.

The handful of covered wagons barely made it through the mountain pass. One horse broke its leg and there was no more grease for the wheels. Ever since a rattler bit the doctor, there was little hope Carla Gustafsons little daughter would make it all the way to Sacramento.

Quarterback Fred Bronson had 13 seconds to complete the pass in the final quarter of the last Super Bowl game. Six more points meant the championship and the teams first Super Bowl win.

The Hutu in Rwanda had already suffered a number of droughts and famines over the last 50 years. Waiting for the rain seemed an eternity.

Over a year in outerspace would undoubtedly take its toll on the astronauts. But if the mission succeeded, it would change intergalactic exploration in ways never before imagined.

The two gunslingers faced off, ready to draw.

Waiting for the drawbridge, as she had done so many times before, Annies thoughts started to drift. Would she ever leave this sleepy old town? Could she handle the face-paced world of a big city and actually make it as an actress? Would she grow old too fast?

The baby was born at 11:32am on a Friday in June. But such a date was meaningless to the little bugger whose only sense of time over the next couple of years would be the time between crying and the bottle.

She waited at the restaurant and ordered her third glass of wine. The waiter asked her if shed like to order but she decided to wait a little longer.

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