Marking Time

Astronomers tend to define some basic time-related terms differently than most. For example, most of us find it's enough to know that June days have more daylight hours than other months. Some of us know that June 21 is generally the longest day of the year. A few realize that the solstices and equinoxes shift a bit from year to year. But an astronomer might know the 2008 summer solstice in North America's mountain time zone was at 5:59pm. Such a person might even have a reason to care about such specific detail.

Before we allowed our lives to be ruled by glowing numbers on plastic screens, back when people checked the weather on the porch rather than on the internet, stuff like "today" and "tomorrow" were defined by observing nature and responding accordingly. I wonder sometimes what that would be like.

It is time to get a bedtime biscuit for the dog and settle in, for tomorrow (or today, technically) is another day.

"I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety."
(Psalm 4:8)