Staring across the lake, I notice how everything moves. The geese float serenely across the surface of the otherwise glassy surface of the water. The students and faculty hurry to their next class or meeting. The leaves on the trees bristle at a weak gust of wind. And the cars speed by, desperate to reach their destination as soon as possible. The geese are the only beings capable of independent movement not rushing somewhere. They float, the turn, float some more, occasionally they’ll dive in for a hopeful bite, but for all intents and purposes, they are just hanging our enjoying the sun.
The geese have a daily list of things they must do, just like you and me. However, the concept of time, of when each task must be accomplished, means nothing to them. If one wishes to cross the lake, they do, at whatever pace they wish. Whether they arrive at 10:29 or 10:32 makes no difference, but that mere 180 seconds can make a huge difference in our lives.
Some professors will lock a student out if they are even 60 seconds late. Every day, cars drive absurd speeds above the speed limit in an attempt to shave off just a couple minutes, if that, in the long run. Even what one can order at a restaurant could be altered by a 2 minute delay in transportation. We even feel the need to apologize for being five minutes late to a pre-planned meeting, under the belief that we have wasted someone’s time. Humans value punctuality so greatly, we allow it to dictate every aspect of our lives. It is only when we escape “society” and find some free time, that we can see how trivial 60 seconds is. How little it matters whether one arrives at 10:29 or 10:30.