At first glance, you might think this is about time, except we already know about that. There are sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, twenty-four hours in a day, and 365 days in a year.
We also know that no matter how much we wish it were otherwise, we can’t save, shorten or lengthen time. It’s the one thing in our lives that is an absolute constant.
Timing, however, is an entirely different issue. It can occur quickly and at any time — the reason we say such things as “the timing was sure right for that to happen” or “your timing couldn’t have been better” or “you got here just in the nick of time.” Even then we don’t know if it will make any difference, or if it does, whether that difference will be slight or critically important.
We say this often when facing the force of nature. For example, flood damage from a hurricane was far worse along the coast because the full force of the storm hit during high tide. Or a tornado struck in the middle of the night when people were least prepared for it.
As for we humans, timing can result in us being completely unnoticed or go down in history.
Had Paul Revere not seen the lantern in the church steeple that night, he would have been just another man on a horse. Had it not been for the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln could have gone down in history as having been just another president.
In the world of technology, the Wright Brothers invented the airplane at about the same time that rail travel had reached its maximum speed in taking us from one point to another. Although many rightfully lament the number of people killed by the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, that event saved the lives of many thousands more by bringing World War II to a sudden end.
This matter of timing becomes even more important when we realize how it affects us as individuals. We all know someone with a special talent who just happened to be looking for a job when the perfect job opened up. We also, however, know someone who had a great idea but wasn’t taken seriously because, as we say, they were ahead of their time. That was emphasized by a famous comic strip that showed the laughable consequences of a person who had been born either forty years too soon or forty years too late.
For example, there often are situations in which a person joins an organization where their talent is needed and wanted to tackle such projects as innovative ways to get more members or how best to emphasize professional improvement. In each case, it’s the timing that makes possible such giving and receiving.
As expected, we often say luck or coincidence was involved. Or if that sounds too far out, we can always say it was part of God’s plan for each of us. No matter how it comes about or who, if anyone, is responsible, timing can just as easily be all wrong or all right. Instead of happiness and satisfaction, we find ourselves wrapped in nagging thoughts of “what if.”
The aftermath can often be equally painful. For example, imagine a person who is unaware of how valuable they can be, joining an organization and performing so well that the person is praised and honored — a classic case of perfect timing for both the giver and receiver. Yet, conditions change. As the bright lights of popularity dim then disappear, that person must realize the exceptional value of what they were able to give to the organization and the positive effect it had on its members. That important legacy will continue to live on.
On a larger scale, that same day of reckoning arrives for all kinds of famous people who live long enough to realize they are virtually unknown among those who followed in their footsteps. They are so distressed by no longer being popular that they don’t realize the extent and the magnificence of what they contributed to others — invaluable and deeply satisfying additions of hope, confidence, and skill.
Throughout our lives all of us would do well to always remember that whether the timing is logical or illogical, doors open and doors close.
None of it, however, is never for nothing.
