Adventures of M. Fabulista...

TIME - THE GEOGRAPHY OF CHRONOLOGY



''Where did the time go''



A lament. A mourn for the bereavement of collective moments.



How many of us are guilty of that? Guilty of letting go of time without so much as a thought?



I don't want to do that. At least not anymore. I have always known that once that grain of sand slips through the tiny waist of the hourglass, I will never get that instant back again.



And we can never step into same river twice.



Time is constantly flowing by, seemingly running towards a goal (or is it something else?). I can never get it back again. I will miss all the good times I had - time spent with a good friend, time spent at a caf�, savouring the smells and taste of the delicious brew. I will always remember the soft fur of the cat I once had. Hmm, the good times and the good things once had, how memorable!



How many of us wish for more time? How many of us wish for time to pass more slowly so that we can savour each moment with its fine detail; to give it the respect it deserves and observe it, rather than letting it pass us by?



I often to capture time in a capsule; to preserve a happy, wonderful time and keep it in perpetuity; to be had and relished again at a later time... and again... and again. But I am dreaming (of a white Christmas in Singapore?). It's not quite possible is it (though I can still dream?)?



But we can never step into same river twice.



I had an epiphany; once at my Campus Library. My friends know where to find me at my favourite spot - it overlooks a thick wood, full of the lush life pertinent to our tropical climate. I love the view. The view of tall foliage and growth swaying in the breeze; beckoning their audience.



Over the year as the weather changes, the vegetation takes on different hues - like a lady in her chamber, going through metamorphosis. Like a true lady, her change is subtle and elegant. As tropical monsoon sets in, she will step off the shower into her quarters dressed in a terry cloth robe of green - lush, luscious and full of the force of life - fresh to face the challenges a new year brings. In the other months, basking in the radiant, dry heat, the leaves turn amber and ochre. Shedding her casual robes, she takes on colour for the evening, shades of tawny earth, mellow ochre and vibrant crimsons - the lady is ready for her debut.



The change is subtle, oh so small, a picture for the observant eye; but so lavish is the reward. The breathtaking joy it brings as the story of a year unfurls before your eyes. Every minute variation is a stamp on the passing of time; a picture frame in the galleries of your mind. A moment to be held to behold.



And I had my epiphany - I hold that moment in my mind; I hold that moment in my hand. I hold it... in perpetuity.



While we can never step into the same river twice; we can step in to water and enjoy the coolness and freshness it bestows. We remember the sensation it conferred... and remember it in perpetuity.