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From
My English Country Garden
A
letter from Builder Michael
Today
– so far – has been much the same as yesterday, and, yesterday -
just like today I became another day older – and -tomorrow – I
will be older than today. And, looking the other way round
-yesterday, I was one day younger than today, and, at the same time
- one week older than one week ago. Time hits us all in this way or
that way. And then, whilst thinking of the comings and goings of
time, my telephone rang.
It
was a lady I've known for a very long time. And, she was calling
from Ireland. And, the reason for her call was her search. She was
looking for the answer to the question of time. And, her husband, a
good friend of mine, suggested that I was the only person on earth
who could answer this question. And, he was right!
The
answer to my good friend's wife's question was, after some serious
thinking, really quite simple. Time is based upon our understanding
of the movement of years, and, this understanding has all to do with
the comparisons in time from when we were born to where we are now
and where we were in-between, and, of course, the differences in age
between us and everyone else. All very simple.
As
an example, we can take little Johnny. When Johnny was born, his
brother Paul was 5 – meaning - Johnny was 5 years younger than
Paul. But, when Paul reached the age of 10, Johnny, who was then 5,
was twice as young as Paul, and Johnny had doubled his age. This is
quite logical – and my friend's wife got the point straight-away.
And,
the next point was just as easy as well. To be double the age
of somebody else is not the same as being double the age that you
are. But, doubling one's age is something one can do all the time.
But, being twice as old as somebody else is only a question of
timing.
If,
say, you're 40 years old, you can say you're twice as old as you were
20 years ago, and, that 6 years ago you were twice as old as you were
when just 17. And, at this point, I noticed something unusual.
My friend's wife was beginning to think – and this - for her - is
really unusual. She had discovered that the difference between old
and young is in reality no difference at all.
Her
husband, my very good friend, is, in reality, 30 years older than she
is – which means that 20 years ago he was already 40 whilst she
only 10. And, that in 30 years time, he will be 90 and she only 60 -
and that she will have to live for another 30 years in order to
double the age she is now in order to become half as old as he –
provided, of course, that he lives to 120!
But,
as we all know, we are as old as we are – and – that's how it is.
But, the chances of my friend's wife doubling her age are extremely
high, whereas his are out of the question. But, is this true? 10
years ago he was 50 – and – the double of 50 is 100. It all
depends from where one is starting. So – why not try it yourself?
Half your age and then double it again – and – you, too will have
doubled your age! See you next month – Yours Builder Michael
