“Huh, time, ain’t a such thing as time, time is manmade, you know what I mean? But real sh-, though? Even if it was, this sh-‘ll never stop”.1 Benny the Butcher opens his song with a bold statement I believe can be true. Imagine a world where time doesn’t exist. Imagine the time zones across the world don’t guide us through our daily lives. Imagine not having a schedule listed with numbers directing us to our next event.
I imagine this world to be chaotic, selfish, and distant where “survival of the fittest” is taken to another level. I believe time is a man-made concept that both helps and harms humanity. I can’t imagine a world where spirituality flourishes without the ages understood in most religious traditions. I can’t imagine a world where culture blossoms when no ceremonial events bring people together. I can’t imagine a world where art loses and gains significance due to the era it forms out of. To comment on Benny’s opener, I do wonder if time is not man made if spirituality, culture, and arts would thrive. I do wonder if time is not man made, would humans be able to connect. I do wonder if time is not man made, would humans discover who they were meant to be.
Face of Time
The Abrahamic religions all have a hope of a future time. In most of the religious traditions I am familiar with, the past, present and future are all recognized and identified as different. If time didn’t exist for these traditions, it could lead to both positive and negative outcomes. I believe people would be more inclusive and welcoming to different traditions if the time delineation was eliminated from the picture. On the contrary, I believe the traditions might not become traditions if time was not a construct that man made. In a previous blog, I commented on Sadhguru’s suggestion of life being a cycle, leaving and returning to the ocean. Today I want to take it a step further, what if we never leave the ocean?
Stay Spiritual created another reaction video to Terence Mckenna.2 The video focuses on the end of a period of time, not necessarily the end of time itself. A key point James and Justin take away from the video is the way humans have lived in different environments. Along with humans climate adaptability, the video also talks about our short term memory in forgetting about the new ideas that scare us at the time, “like the rise of the internet and the collapse of the socialist world”.3 James and Justin discuss the concern people have about the increased use of Artificial Intelligence and Justin comments “sometimes the things that start off frightening, end up the things that are so fascinating”.4 Even though the video is an interview about time ending in a different context, I believe a similar process can be applied to the end of time itself. The thought of time being removed from our existence would create a whole new environment. I believe it’s possible we could forget about the period we used time, similar to how traditions of some religions and cultures have been forgotten.5 The thought of time being removed from our common man-made experience is frightening to me, but I believe the more time I spend with the concept, the more my fascination will grow.
The traditions of religious institutions that have prolonged to the 21st century are thought of as “timeless” tradition or wisdom. I believe breaking down these teachings to see not just what they taught, but more importantly the intention of the teaching is important to encouraging spiritual progression. I would encourage you to do what humans have always done, adapt and survive. However, don’t adapt to the times, but adapt to the way the light shines on you. You are the prism. Depending on how someone perceives you, you reflect an archetype of yourself they understand. Being present with yourself allows you the ability to understand, adapt, and express the version of yourself you would like. I believe this practice would allow you to add your vision to the world. I believe this practice would allow you to look into the face of time with no fear and no dependence.
Power of Time
I recently attended a film screening, telling stories and experiences of young Asian women. I was one of two black men present in a room of 30+ attendants. Following the screening, we had a Q+A session with the directors on their pieces around inspirations, symbolism, and what’s next for each of the young creators. The crowd shared the way they related to the caricatures of the story and the emotion-filled memories brought to the forefront of their minds. The directors and the question bearer would share a laugh over a stereotype or misconception of their shared culture. Even though I did not share the experience of being an Asian woman, their exchange brought laughter and joy to myself and others in attendance. The heavy subjects portrayed in the film were relieved once cultural and language jokes were playfully expressed. The director’s understanding of their vision and expression of their experience, broke down barriers between white/black and east/west. Afterwards I was able to connect with two of the filmmakers to assist in their future projects as well as share my own artistic exploration. Creating space for fun can bring people of different backgrounds together, not to become the same culture, but to bring power to their own unique culture.
I still don’t speak Arabic. However, Cultural Diversity posted another short.6 I don’t know what the speaker is saying, but I can see the facial expressions and body language present in the video to make some conclusions. The video has Arabic words displayed all over the screen, along with “shocked”, “crying tears of joy”, and “embarrassed hand over the mouth” emojis.7 There is a woman who smirks, winks, and raises her voice, as a Palestinian flag is placed in the top right corner. In addition, there is a photo of a different woman who appears to be ripping a flag that looks similar to the Palestinian flag. Later on, there is a part of the woman’s monologue where her face emphasizes one word and this clip is repeated three times. Lastly, the woman repeats the same phrase twice, emphasizing what she is saying naturally.
With my limited understanding, I believe the video is a criticism from one woman to another in a joking manner. The woman seems to be upset at the other because she has ripped a flag that has a lot of significance. The repetition through technological and natural means creates an almost poetic humor effect. The humor insinuated through her facial expressions, and the laughing emoji backdrop, gives me a lane to relate to a woman I have never met. Instead of judging her for her opinion, I try to open my heart to how she could feel and respect her opinionated poetry. Appreciating the time and effort she took to create this video gives me the chance to see the beautiful language and expression of another culture. Appreciating the time of this creation builds bridges across the world, giving me the opportunity to understand, honor, and see deeper significance in the Palestinian flag. Appreciating the time of the creation process allows me to see the power of time and its ability to build bridges, humor, and significance through authentic expression.
Magic of Time
I believe magic is subjective to time. If you showed someone a century ago the capabilities of an iPhone, they would claim it was magic. Using paper to create a “magic ring” may sound whimsical, childish, and even stupid, but please bear with me. Contrary to the popular saying, you really have to believe to see it. Taking the time to intentionally imagine and admire an artistic vision can let you see the powerful magic humans can create. I would encourage you to use any artistic practice to let you transcend your physical reality and create the world you want for yourself. Maybe taking a piece of paper and transforming it is the symbol you need to envision the magic you are capable of.
Based on a video from Artistic Expression, I attempted to make the magic paper ring.8 I grabbed two similarly sized slivers of paper, one blue and one white. I placed one on top of the other, the front blue paper slightly lower than the back white paper. I folded the paper on top of each other and cut the paper in half. I folded one of the papers twice, basically to a point where it can’t be folded anymore. Then I opened the paper, the folds shaping the paper to curve into a semi circle. I repeated the process with the other half of the original paper. Following, I glued the two papers together, half of the ring showing the outside as blue, the other white. When I flip the ring one way, the ring looks completely white. When I flip the ring the other way, the ring looks completely blue.
Kyrie Irving, one of the greatest ball handlers to ever play basketball, is often called a wizard with the ball. Irving finds ways to weave through defenders and create opportunities to score out of nothing. Kyrie’s ability to manipulate a simple basketball leaves spectators in awe of his artistry. Being creative, humble and hungry are some of the staples of Irving’s life. I believe we can learn a thing or two from Kyrie. I would encourage you to experiment being creative in the art of illusion. I would encourage you to reassess your extraordinary experiences in the mundane seasons of life. Revisit them with a sense of curiosity, to understand the situation and imagine the magic behind it. Maybe then you could envision the possible magic behind time.
Calling of Time
Do not let the limits of time constrain you. Live your experience. Build your own understanding of wisdom. Celebrate poetry joyfully. Laugh with a light heart. Bring creativity into your life. Make magic. Live like time is man-made, go at your own pace, and forget the pressure of clock.
Bibliography
- Benny the Butcher, “Griselda Express,” song, January 26, 2024, ↩︎
- Stay Spiritual, “THE END OF TIME,” YouTube, October 8, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fir5ZhXprNE. ↩︎
- Stay Spiritual ↩︎
- Stay Spiritual ↩︎
- Stay Spiritual ↩︎
- Cultural Diversity, “رد فعل مغربي جميل ورائع على خطاب الرئيس تبون لكن الجوع نال منه,” YouTube, October 8, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B-PAZETlWWk. ↩︎
- Cultural Diversity ↩︎
- Artistic Expression, “Let’s Make a Magic Ring Paper,” YouTube, n.d.https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kvpicGeMj7I. ↩︎
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