My view
Now that I have retired, I wonder what to do with all this unrestricted time? At the moment, I’m sitting in my living room recliner, looking out over the marsh and sky. A treeline on the opposite shore runs like a narrow band of greener green than the marsh, all virtually unchanged over the years.
I will take the time one moment at a time, for starters. Isn’t that the point? Each moment is boundless, if given the creative thrust of vital energy. Even if unappreciated, the moment has its own life apart from the person who experiences it. I let the moments fly by unnoticed. I can’t attend individually to all, but they assert themselves in different contexts, as when I remember them.
How many moments have I spent in this recliner? It’s easier to conjecture in terms of waves or patterns of chair-sitting time, where multiple similar experiences superimpose themselves on each other. Like standing waves, together they create a symphony of like-toned moments, a certain quality of moment, thickened and intensified, deepened by repetition over time.
I can sit here and remember pasts of similar but not identical moments, times when I can see a blue heron, who is not there now, but forever in place in my memory.
Once experienced, it is forever accessible.
No birds flocking to the feeder this moment, but they live in memory and expectation, a moment’s edge from appearing before my physical eyes.
If I think of moments as waves rather than particles, they can exist everywhere at once, in all times right now, as alive, from my perspective, as they ever were.
Thus have I built quality time in this chair, hours upon hours of moments at all times of day and night, season, temperature, and even location in the living room. The other recliner has occupied similar locations. Together they remind me of blocks of time that contained experiences like Hoppy, the wild baby rabbit my cat brought in, eyes still unopened, weighing less than an ounce. I spent many moments feeding him goat’s milk from a dropper, or letting him sleep in the quilt on my lap. His eye got hurt as he hid in the other recliner, the gray one.
I think of Mama, who gave me the gray recliner, or Clements Furniture, where I bought this green one. I see the vistas outside the window and recall the changing weather patterns, the naps I’ve taken, blankets I’ve wrapped around feet, fans I’ve turned on, as now. Sun in my eyes, books at my side, journal and pen in lap and hand. All these memories consolidated in this moment, in the wave theory of time.
The hummingbirds. Phone conversations. Snacks. The time the pressure cooker blew up in my face and I could do little except sit around and recuperate, or when knees, ankles, or feet won’t let me do much other than sit.
A wave theory of time recognizes the nurturing effect of certain types of moments, such as the ones spent sitting in my chair.
katharineotto 
It’s a great article, I loved reading it. I think it should be “a wave theory of time” rather than “the”as it’s your philosophical view. I look forward to reading more
Thanks for following. I looked at your site and will be following you, too. Agreed about “A Wave . . .” because I don’t claim ownership. Will change the title pronto.
“Prateek” sounds like an Indian name. If you can educate me about Hinduism and Buddhism, that would be great. The Tao of Physics supports my longstanding beliefs about the quality of “qi” and “prana,” but I need to know more.
Hi Katherine, yeah its an Indian name, I was born as a Hindu Indian but I have never been a religious person myself, I am a believer of path of science, exploration, reasoning and philosophy for explanation of our existence. I am afraid I can’t help you with qi and prana. 🙂 but stay in touch and looking forward to sharing thoughts and ideas.
Don’t be too quick to turn your back on your heritage. There’s much to like about Eastern belief and philosophy. If you haven’t already read it, I strongly suggest The Tao of Physics. It gives a readable blend of quantum physics and Eastern mysticism, essentially saying that the scientists are only now discovering what the mystics have always known.
It’s not about turning back, it’s about belief. I feel that religion restricts your understanding and lays out a fixed structure for you to believe whereas science explores for the sake of understanding without stating anything to exist only claims final stand when it’s proven and most of science is reluctant to change and if something new is discovered it’s automatically accepted and I personally cannot connect without understanding. but I’ll look into what you have recommended, there are always things that appeals to one’s curiosity.
A typo up there I meant “most of all science is not reluctant to change unlike religion”
I separate belief from religion. Dogma pervades both religion and science. Belief has more to do with cultural heritage. I’m a big fan of mythology, for instance, because it has contributed so much to art, literature, and science. The ancient gods of every culture I know were a lively bunch. The monotheists, with their patriarchal, paternalistic, tyrannical single god (centralized power), are more like each other than they are like the Orientals. I believe one difference is that the ancient Eastern traditions have matured to the point where they are better able to conceptualize immortality.
Also, from my superficially educated perspective, it seems the Hindus have a healthier attitude toward sex and appreciation for earthy things. Shiva and Shakti, for instance. Where is the Western equivalent? Yes, the caste system is rigid. I suspect the “global economy” will eventually put an end to that.
I think a belief in reincarnation, as with Hindus and Buddhists, makes for a more peace-loving, philosophically-minded culture. The prospect of karmic debt can sure put a damper on war and violence. I don’t hear of the Hindus or Buddhists running off to war or provoking their enemies on purpose. In the West, we’ve made a god of science, and he is a tyrant, too. Don’t even get me started on medicine and Obamacare.
Finally, what do you think of Deepak Chopra? I know squat about ayurvedic medicine, but for what he writes. He’s making an effort to blend the best of East and West. Although I question some of what he says, he offers a perspective you won’t find anywhere else in mainstream medicine.
I’ve practiced acupuncture, myself, and believe it has lots of untapped potential.
I understand where you coming from, but you have to be in touch with the ground to know the kind of soil that exists, the thing is quite the opposite the beliefs of people with respect to religion are so disconnected, some follow without questioning without comprehension and some just don’t.
And the attitude towards sex is not healthy from any perspective, no wonder why women are so disrespected and subjected to all sorts of extortions. it is due to the restrictive and repressed attitude towards sex, a thing that should free to understand and practice. Religion was created to guide a primitive race but it is no longer effective when the race is become curious and analytical. Curiosity is the only quality of human beings that puts us apart and make us an intelligent evolving species.
I understand that west is having problems but you have to separate science from politics. Science evolves by not stating anything for good it improvises and deals with the tools at hand, soon you’ll have medicines which won’t have side effects, region targeted and truly state of the art, but we have to have patience for the bright minds on the ground to figure it out as they are doing it already. Its politics of the world that pollutes the genuine efforts and creating things truly beautiful. There are so many efforts to protect our environment and science continuously highlights the urgency of them but its the politics and lobbies of the world that continue to ignore but I see a change happening among them too.
what about reincarnation in christianity? was’t Christ buried only to be found that he reincarnated later on.
I am not aware of Deepak chopra, but I believe in certain aspects of ayurveda and other health practices that have a lot of logic in their course of treatment. They are quite effective in treatments.
I feel that there are for sure certain good things and virtues to be taken from religion and cultures and one should be interested in those only, but humans have a tendency to misuse things whether it be religion or science that is already evident to us.
I too am a believer of spirituality, but my path to reach it, is through science and I know it will achieve that exactly, reach spirituality.
Pardon me for saying so, but you have an extremely romantic notion about science. I’ve lived and breathed it for years, and it is about 95% fraud. It’s all about copyrights, patents, and Wall Street profits. Obamacare is a huge ruse to control access to doctors and the health care “industry,” and to guarantee a perpetual financial feed to the pharmaceutical, medical and bio tech, and insurance industries. If you don’t believe me, just look at where government retirement and benefit pension plans are invested.
The monopolists are doing everything they can to own and control so-called economic narrows. If there is any progress in “science,” it is in war science and eco-rape. If you are talking about the “climate change” crisis, that is political science for the purpose of selling carbon credits to corporations like International Paper so they won’t destroy the Amazon rain forest so fast.
I agree with the issues you raise above as I am aware of it , but as I said when we are discussing science we need to separate it from politics and corruption pervaded by capitalism. the same has been done with religion in the past and is being done in the present its called misuse of ideals. But talking about science in its purity is not to blame. science is an act of pure objective analysis and proof. People corrupt it when they turn it into subjective tools for profit to themselves. I hope you understand what I have been trying to say. Its people corrupted by profits and self gain.
Doing is believing. If you can produce a prototype that works, that I can touch and fiddle with, and I’m willing to pay you for it, that’s science and capitalism. Everything else is political science.
You sound very young. I’m 63. I’ll bet I’m twice and maybe three times as old as you are. But you have a good heart. How many nesting boxes for chickens have you built with your science?
Well you are right I’m young a little less than half your age. I have tried doing things at my end. I may not know everything but I know enough. …I feel like there are three types of people, one who want do some good, second who don’t want to do any good and third who don’t have a stand they bend wherever the wind blows. I feel the tools or means don’t matter it’s the people who are using them or handling them responsible for the choice. But I get what you saying.
You want to understand, and that will keep you young at heart. Avoid categorizing people, because you limit your opportunities to be surprised. I believe everyone is doing the best s/he can.
The categories is just an observation, like science my mind is open to surprise and change, and wonders never cease for a curious mind 🙂
Are you a scientist or do you work in the field of science?
I have a science /engineering background but I love to think and philosophize
I believe in “applied science,” such as making useful things. Yesterday, I finished making a door screen that hangs like a curtain. This is crucial in a place like Savannah, an insect paradise. I used a chain through the bottom hem bottom to weight it down and hooks at the base to hold the corners secure when I’m not using the door.
It’s amazing how many different materials and skills that little project required. I plan to blog about it soon. I took several pictures. I believe public domain technology is crucial for mankind’s continued evolvement.
Thats really well said, and I think you should post about it, I too feel that there has to be more and more public domain information and technology available for people to facilitate real widespread inclusive development , it would really help the skill level as well as self reliance of people. Don’t forget to post the pictures 🙂
Thanks. Will do. I’ve “invented” lots of things out of stuff lying around the house. I like using standard materials, like concrete blocks, 2X4s (which I guess in India are 4X9 cms, a more accurate assessment of measurement than the British king’s version).
You didn’t answer my question about the metric scale. I think the confusion about weights and measures accounts for a lot of Americans’ fear of science and math. Metrics is so much more practical, once you get used to it.
I feel the metric system is excellent with respect to micro or small to medium scale measurements where precise measurement with additional decimal unit is required like everyday tasks or small products or smaller volumes and areas providing better quantization , but imperial system may be better when measuring large scale measurements like long distances and areas or large volumes and bigger estimates, that’s just my opinion
What’s your background?
I feel metric system is more precise where it’s required, probably a blend of both metric and imperial could be used by the world in future to serve specific needs