Only Time will Tell: A discourse on Greek rhetoric and Gin Blossoms

One of my favorite songs is 29 by Gin Blossoms. The lyrics describe growing up and learning from the experiences of your 20s. I think it should be required listening on everyone’s 29th birthday.

 

Released in 1992, this song should also remind us Gen Xers that we share much in common with our millennial colleagues and friends.

 

Moving on…

 

I keep a running list of ideas for blog posts. One potential topic that’s been on the list for (seriously) three years is to compare the Greek words Chronos and Kairos.

 

Chronos is chronological time. See the etymology there? Chronos time is sequential and measurable. You can count days/weeks/months/years.

 

Kairos is qualitative. Kairos is about opportune or critical Moments (I’m capitalizing this word purposefully). These Moments are fleeting and extraordinarily significant.

 

My writing muse had not yet directed me toward exploring Chronos and Kairos in words. That was until I was singing 29 while cooking dinner last week.

 

The opening line of 29 is “Time won’t stand by forever.” Hello Chronos!

 

Chronos reminds you to:

  • Understand that time inexorably marches on with or without your involvement. I teach clients to manage their tasks, their boundaries, and their resources, but not necessarily their time. Time itself cannot be managed.
  • Embrace the cyclical nature of how time passes. I teach my clients to do that with process documentation.
  • Eat your children. Wait…no…that was the Titan Cronus. Strike that.

 

The pinnacle stanza (in both meaning and harmony) in 29 is:

 

There’s no intentions worthy of mention

If we never try

So hang your hopes on rusted-out hinges

Take ’em for a ride

 

That stanza gets me every single time. I love it. And it is Kairos all the way.

 

Kairos insists that you must:

  • Be present. If you are distracted, you may miss the Moment.
  • Embrace spontaneity. The Moment may come as a surprise.
  • Set goals. Goals drive and direct your path. You may not encounter the Moment if you are on the wrong road.
  • Be bold. When you see the opening, you should catapult yourself toward the Moment. Carpe Diem and all that.
  • Learn stuff. To fully profit from the Moment, you must have the knowledge to understand its intricacies.

 

Songwriter and member of Gin Blossoms, Jesse Valenzuela, did a beautiful job capturing the angst of our 20s with the song 29.

 

The Sophists of Ancient Greece did a beautiful job applying Kairos to their rhetoric. They asserted that information must be presented at the right moment for it to be meaningful and influential.

 

So, perhaps listening to 29 while cooking dinner was a Sophistic moment when I received the right information at the right time.

 

Only time will tell…

 






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Dr. Melissa GratiasMelissa Gratias (pronounced “Gracious”) used to think that productivity was a result of working long hours. And, she worked a lot of hours. Then, she learned that productivity is a skill set, not a personality trait. Now, Melissa is a productivity expert who coaches and trains other businesspeople to be more focused, balanced, and effective. She is a prolific writer and speaker who travels the world helping people change how they work and improve how they live. Contact her at getproductive@melissagratias.com or 912-417-2505. Sign up to receive her productivity tips via email.

 

1 Comment

  1. Julie Bestry

    Bwahahahahaha. “Eat your children. Wait…no…that was the Titan Cronus. Strike that.” OMG, you are so funny.

    The Sophists were right, but I wish I’d read this post when I was in my 20s. Or even my 30s. Or my 40s.

    How did you get so smart at the age of tender age of 29? 😉

    Reply

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