Letter to you from…
Unfortunately the clock is ticking each second. We move far away from our past as we step in to the future as it reduces each second. Possibilities drowning and passing by while regrets galore we stare blankly at our lives.
It’s a long journey for all of us, whether we count the seconds, hours or days. We started counting and keeping track of time from ancient times. It was Julius Caesar who introduced the first calendar which was called the “Julian Calendar”. However this calendar seemed to skip days and not have a continuous mechanism which was consistent and much accurate. That is why I decided to step in and create the quite accurate “Gregorian Calendar”.
One main reason I introduced this was because the Roman emperor’s system miscalculated the length of the solar year by 11 minutes, the calendar had since fallen out of sync with the seasons. This situation meant that Easter, traditionally observed on March 21, fell further away from the spring equinox with each passing year.
The Julian calendar included an extra day in February every four years. But I realized that the addition of so many days made the calendar slightly too long. The Italian scientist Aloysius Lilius helped out by then devising a variation that adds leap days in years divisible by four, unless the year is also divisible by 100. If the year is also divisible by 400, a leap day is added regardless. Now we have leap years more accurately than Julius Caesar’s one!
However I do have to inform you that even this calendar seems to be wonderful its 26 seconds off from the solar mechanism and does not sync in exactly with the seasons. Well, I have to break it out for you, by the year 4909 we will be one day ahead from the solar year! The funny part is this; Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar 1752 and the people started going crazy. It was September 2nd in the Julian calendar and September 14th in the Gregorian, well they started riot- ing asking for the skipped 12 days! Maybe I’m exaggerating but even Benjamin Franklin said “It is pleasant for an old man to be able to go to bed on September 2, and not have to get up until September 14.”
Another interesting fact I would like to enlighten you with, is that before Julian calendar, during middle ages, it was March 25th that enunciated the New Year in Britain as it was a day to celebrate Mother Mary. Quite amazing how people’s brains worked; time was not a concept that was instilled in their lifestyle, it was religion mainly.
The history of calculating years or rather time has been started by Babylonians. They were the leading astronomers. It was by observing stars and objects in the sky that gauging time was done. The Babylonians, Egyptians were the first to introduce the lunar calendar. These did not suit the evolving generations because of less accuracy and inconsistency of years and time, it was then that Mayans and Julius Caesar came into play.
After years of observing the stars here we are now in a world where people don’t have time to look at the stars. Time has become something that is extinct and everyone chasing it. Some waste it, some use it, some don’t even know about it.
For all of those who are lost in time, I am writing this to tell you, earth to you! You may be in different areas, different countries or continents it doesn’t matter. Whatever the calendar you use time is precious! Mars and Pluto do not stop rotating for you, so obviously Earth doesn’t.
Jokes apart, I want to very firmly give you this message.
It’s a new year. Moreover remember that it’s a new day, new hour every day and it’s never too late to start fresh. Hope, happiness and success are all attitudes and commitments. Use your time wisely to achieve the best in life. Hope always knocks on the door when you are least expecting it and when you hope, miracles happen. Happiness is a choice and attitude. I’m sorry to say this, but if you aren’t happy, it’s your own fault. You have to create your own happiness because it’s your life and your time. Do not be afraid of commitments, life is all about committing yourself to yourself. Therefore take that brave step ahead.
Think of yourself as a small unit in this gigantic solar system. Time is one thing which shows that you are a part of an amazing creation. Do not underestimate nature’s creations. Time is limitless but you aren’t!
Happy New Year God Bless! Pope Gregory XIII. Written by Devuni
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