Perpetual Ruminations

Why time speeds up!

I was hoping to finish my story for the Challenge yesterday, but that didn't pan out. I had a productive day, just not in the writing department. In fact, it was a very enjoyable day as well as productive; it just wasn't long enough. During a conversation, I may have stumbled upon the truth of why this, too short of day, is happening. unfolded.

I got up early, spent a little time with Rhonda before she went to work, then made up some peanut butter cookies and took care of the dogs. Next was lunch, then it was time for Rhonda to get home so we could get ready to go out for dinner with my sister from Minnesota. She came for a surprise visit for my brother's birthday, the reason we were all going out to eat. After a nice dinner we went to his place for cake and ice cream and more conversation before coming home.

So much for the day -- it was over and I didn't get to my writing project. But, during conversation at dinner, my sister mentioned my brother should not be as old as he is. I, in humor, offered a suggestion as to why he was older than he should be:

It's a conspiracy to keep us in the dark. Not just in our own country, but a global conspiracy, in fact. For some reason, maybe a volcano or an earthquake, who knows...? Anyway, something about twenty to thirty years ago caused the planet to speed up. Not only is it spinning faster and faster, making each day shorter than the one before, likely just seconds, but the whole orbit has also sped up, shortening our solar year.

None of this is noticeable, just a few seconds gone from the day each month, and a few hours shorter for the year, but over the course of twenty to thirty years, we are now trying to pack in twenty-four hours of activities in a twenty-two hour day. Or at least a less than twenty-four hour day. And, we are trying to live three hundred and sixty five days a year with only three hundred and sixty, or something similar.

Since we have never been informed of any of this, it's difficult to determine how much time we have lost, but it's enough to notice and probably the reason for daylight savings time, although that hasn't worked. I'm sure you have noticed the change, there are never enough hours in the day anymore, nor are there enough days in the year; not like when we were young and the day went on forever, and it took so long for Christmas or your favorite holiday to arrive. Now, it's time for bed before dinner is ready and the next holiday just passed!