Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of time.

It’s such a subjective thing, in some ways; time can mean so many different things to different people living in different circumstances.

For instance, I just passed my seven-year anniversary at my workplace. When I mention this milestone to others, there are often mixed reactions. Some, who have been at the workplace for 30+ years, say something like “Oh, that’s nothing!” But looking at the bigger picture, seven years is approximately 29% of my 24-year-old life – and that’s a significant portion.

Another great example of this lies in relationships. My fiancé and I were dating for roughly nine months before we moved in together. To some people, nine months may not seem like a long time, at least in terms of dating and that sort of situation.

But take that context away from it and think about the time aspect; think about it in this context: nine months is long enough to create a human life, long enough to turn a couple into a family. (Nine months is also the length of the NHL season, roughly — of course I had to throw that in.)

One hour for someone waiting at a hospital to hear about a beloved family member’s condition will seem like endless days, but one hour to someone sitting and watching a movie will pass in the snap of two fingers. A year may not be as meaningful to someone who’s 50 as to someone who has a child who’s about to celebrate their first birthday. Seconds probably won’t matter too much when you’re sending an email for work, but they mean the world to those people running that race downtown. What may take one person weeks to prepare for, be it a presentation, a risk, or whatever else – may take other people just hours or even less time to get ready for.

It’s just interesting to look at time this way. We all interpret it in different ways at different points in our lives and context can make all the difference.  Time… is a darned funny thing.