The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time #2

“Time is only the relationship between the way different things change.”

 This quote holds a lot of power. Time is one of the few things in life that is utterly unbiased. You will grow old, regardless of race. Regardless of gender or wealth. We all age and wither to dust. We all die. But we all change with time as well. We grow, we mature. We begin to see the world for what it is, not for that which we wish it to be. For Christopher, he was never truly a child. He always knew he was different. When he is talking about his borderline sociopathic dream, he says people that are special, like he is. This means not only does he know he's different, but he's come to terms with it. The first part is quick, but the latter? It can take years. But I think that it didn't take Christopher too long. Let's look at one of the best shows ever, BBC Sherlock. In this adaptation especially, Sherlock Holmes is a genius who greatly understands how people, but not how people feel. He has no understanding of other people's feelings, giving him a lack of respect for them. He's known he's different since he was young, but his lack of emotion made him less innocent, meaning he came to terms with this sooner. How does this relate to Christopher? For one, Christopher is not innocent. This is shown when he talks so casually about his mother's death. He views it as an unchangeable fact, so he does not get upset over this. Sherlock himself says, "Is me being upset going to bring anyone back? No? Exactly." Christopher sees no point in being upset. Time made him mature, and maturity cannot coexist with innocence.

 With time comes a certain pain. You loose your friends, miss opportunities, and falter under age. I would like to bring up a personal experience for the last point. A week or two ago, I went to a nursing home. I saw all types there, but one in particular truly stood out. A woman with Dementia. She held onto a small doll, and at the time I thought it was an odd sort of joke, but she held the toy with a certain care, a certain affection, as if it was real. I couldn't help but think to myself. Is this not where all lives lead, where all roads end? That woman, at one point,  may've been healthy and joyful. But with time comes change. She could've been rich or poor. Republican or Democrat. No matter what spectrum you may come from, you will grow old with everyone else. Christopher's father knows this. His wife left him. As so did his son. Say what you will about him, but you cannot fault him for his unrequited love for his son. So when his son rejected him, it was as if the only person he loved didn't want him. And with time, he may grow bitter from this rejection (his son states that he's still afraid of him at the end) Hernan Cortes, one of the explorers of the new world, died with vast riches, but was still bitter, and this was a happier ending. So imagine how the father must feel.

 With time comes regret. You may feel as if you didn't live life to your full potential, and that it could be better, but the times gone, and you can't get the years back. Christopher's mother felt this. She felt that with Chris and his father, she was wasting her life. So she left, to live life to the best of her abilities. Was she right to do this? I don't believe so, but all the same, you shouldn't hate your life. I understand why she feels this way. I disagree with the way she went about chasing her dreams however. The Lynyrd Skynyrd song, Simple Man, comes to mind. The song talks about focusing on being satisfied with life, and being happy. Feeling like you've achieved joy. Not being unnecessarily complex. And that is what you should pursue in life.

 People change with time. The worst of humanity was once an innocent child. People that were once evil at the heart can reform, perhaps learn to be a good person. But everything changes with time. Nothing remains forever, and nothing gold can stay. Sometimes, however, things change for the better. The overthrow of a Monarchy, and the establishment of a Republic. Fighting the Caste System. Civil Rights. No matter what form it's in, Time represents Change.