Time has a sound—like a whispered hiss; its volume so low only Time itself can hear it. In fact, no other sound has volume so low. Because Time is the perpetual companion of the Universe, situations in which sound is absent are impossible. The idea silence is the opposite of sound is mythic; based on faulty information. In fact, silence is the word created specifically to apply to the sound Time makes. Someone recently—or long ago—published assertions that the imposition of complete removal of external sound causes a person to hear the body’s blood flow. Then, after no more than 45 seconds, the poor person goes mad. Now, whether this came from a reliable source or from The Ambulance Chaser and Gossip Spreader Monthly Magazine, I do not know. I choose to believe the assertion probably has elements of Truth and its opposite, Falsehood. This brief obsession with opposites is making my mind wander. What about Time? Does Time have an opposite? Always and Never are subsets of Time, of course, so perhaps the subset provides legitimacy to the idea that Time has an opposite.
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An apple turnover would be the perfect peacemaker between today and me. There are times I cannot smile without the opulent taste of sugar in my mouth; this is one such time. I am tempted (that is, I am in the process of tempting myself) to get in my car and drive to a nearby doughnut shop. But I probably won’t. Actually, I’m close to certain I won’t. Damn it. Ach! I rarely feel such a strong need to eat sweets; I hope my discipline is strong enough to resist the urge this morning.
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Mi novia has an unquenchable desire to investigate. She spent many years as a fraud investigator. That experience infected her with a chronic desire to know more about places, times, things, people…everything. Consequently, almost immediately after meeting people, she knows where they live, the value of their homes, whether they have criminal records, their marital status, their approximate net worth, and possibly the last piece of clothing they purchased online from Macy’s. I share her desire to learn more through investigation. Have I mentioned that I am considering becoming a working private investigator (PI)? We could become a PI team; perhaps call it BS Investigations. No, the idea of going through a boatload of bureaucratic nonsense to get a license is off-putting to me. I may have to do it under the table. Maybe call it Anonymous Investigations.
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Two hours is almost inconceivably short, compared to the age of the universe. But two hours, in essence, is more than a lifetime to a newborn baby. Context defines every aspect of our experience. I’ve written it so many times, but I have not been able to get across the significance of context. Its level of importance often exceeds that of the events that place in the middle of it.
