Time flies when we’re… getting older
Advertisement
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/10/2020 (956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
I was cleaning out a closet recently and came across the Jan. 1, 2000 issue of the Winnipeg Free Press. Skimming through the articles. I found it hard to believe that some of these events occurred 20 years ago.
It seems the older I get the quicker time seems to pass. Weeks, months and years just seem to fly by. I looked into this concept and there’s actually a fair amount of literature available. The most common theory is that when we’re young we’re bombarded by new experiences — lots of “firsts,” whereas when we’re older we’re typically structured into familiar routines with much less happening on a regular basis. It seems that fewer events to recall means that we have fewer memory bookmarks to track the passage of time.
If you’re still interested after that depressing news, here’s how things looked 20 years ago:
In January, 2000, global economies were breathing a sigh of relief that there was no Y2K computer bug that would shut everything down. Gary Doer’s NDP party had recently taken over from Gary Filmon’s Conservatives. Russian President Boris Yeltsin had just “resigned,” paving the way for Vladimir Putin to take over. Winnipeg’s main hockey team, the Manitoba Moose, beat the Utah Grizzlies 3-2 in overtime, and movies playing at the cinema included Toy Story 2 and The Green Mile.
Interestingly enough, the New Year’s Day issue of the Free Press also had a whole section predicting how things might be in 2020.
Based on previous trends Winnipeg’s population was predicted to decrease from 630,000 to 600,000, with advice from a professional planner that it needed to exceed 750,000 to optimize costs for municipal services (it’s now more than 760,000).
Television would be provided in digital format, served on flat screens rather than the bulky “cathode ray tubes,” and be connected to the internet. Homes would also be run by computer, and instead of movies on VCRs and music on compact discs, home computers would operate music and devices such as lights.
A road would be built completely around Lake Winnipeg, and the provincial government would open up more lakes in the Whiteshell/Nopiming area for cottage development. Imagine that!
And now back to the moral of the story for we middle-agers. I think it’s all too easy to drop into a comfortable routine but slowing the perceived flow of time requires some effort. Creating some more “firsts” in your life is a good start. It’s a little tougher these days, but I’m thinking it involves going somewhere new or doing or learning something new.
Nick Barnes is a community correspondent for Whyte Ridge.
Nick Barnes
Whyte Ridge community correspondent
Nick Barnes is a community correspondent for Whyte Ridge.