My theory of time...and the introduction to LRPs

I wrote this blog post originally back in 2008, but I thought I would re-post. I have often thought about writing a book about this idea - and in fact last year I started one (intro and beginning of chapter 1), but I don't know that I have the patience or fortitude to complete an entire book...we'll see. So, for the moment, enjoy this blog re-post:

Growing up, I always remember hearing my parents talk about how quickly time went by. But as a kid, time seemed endless to me. Days and weeks would pass by slowly and years felt like an eternity.

As an adult, I've quickly come to realize what my parents were talking about those many years ago. It feels like only yesterday that my wife and I were beginning our life together and starting a family. But the reality is that we have a daughter about to enter her teen years, and our baby is almost 8. Why is it that time seems to accelerate with age?

I'm sure many of you have pondered this same question. And sure, there are probably countless simple answers as to why this occurs. However, I have come up with my own theory to explain this phenomenon, which I will do my best to try to elaborate.

The premise of my theory revolves around something that I've termed as "Life Reference Points" or LRPs for short. Life Reference Points are defined as significant events that take place in ones life. As such, these LRPs become a time stamp or point of reference for your mind, allowing you to recall specific memories and relate them to a specific time. As children, we had the luxury of built-in LRPs in the form of schooling. We could reference almost everything that happened to us by what grade we were in during that particular time. However, as we get older, Life Reference Points are few and far between. Sure, there are weddings, graduations, births, etc., but it seems that the day-in and day-out of everyday living seems to all meld together. I believe its this "blurring" of time that causes us to feel as though time is passing ever so quickly. Thus, it is my conclusion that if we want to slow our perception of time, we must create new Life Reference Points in regular intervals. By doing so, this will effectively provide our minds a chronological perspective of time.

One of the best methods that I've found for creating LRPs as an adult is to plan yearly vacations as a family. Besides the intrinsic value of spending time together as a family, I've found that these vacations can help segregate the years and create reference points for the other events in my life.

Obviously, this is just one person's theory, but I believe there is some validity to these thoughts. If you feel like time is moving too fast, maybe you need to create some LRPs.