Measuring Pandemic Time

[Pandemic - IX]

2020 has been a terrible year. No need to rattle on about it, as the list of reasons seems endless.

I am intrigued that when I refer to 2020, I am using a measurement of time that is arbitrary (though almost universally accepted). Obviously, I’m referring to the calendric measurement of days between 11:59pm, December 31, 2019 and now.

But that’s like saying that my day has been relatively peaceful so far . . . because it technically began at midnight, and most of the time between then and now I was peacefully sleeping. That’s not accurate. I measure my day by when I wake up.

My day begins when I engage, not at some predetermined time that everyone agrees upon.

How might we talk about “2020” if we merely adjusted how we look at time? Was this “year” terrible if we evaluate it by my intentional engagement?

My day also partially begins as an idea and a plan the night before in the form of setting my alarm. Today really started yesterday when I decided how much time I needed to accomplish the tasks before me and to still allot me enough time to be present with those that need me.

How might we talk about “2020” if we begin planning now how tomorrow will be different?