December 2025 "The Arrow of Time and How We Move Through It" by ASG Senator, Wyatt Tomlinson

     The arrow of time is a concept in theoretical physics that essentially describes the flow of time as occurring in one singular direction in our lived experience, despite the equations of physics being time-independent. We, too, can freely conceptualize both the past and the future, the former’s moments and the latter’s possibilities. Starting in mid-October, I had a realization initiated by the large number of friends I lost touch with, and, later, the knowledge that people I knew were going to graduate: time is limited. Over the next few weeks, the through-line—especially now, with all I have been reflecting on—crystallized as “What have I done with my life up until now?” and, in the context of people graduating, “What can I do to make the most valuable use of their time before they leave?”

     In most, if not all, political philosophies, there is the concept of, as it is sometimes called, the “ultimate end”—what the purpose of something is. One of those applied areas is, not surprisingly, what the very idea of a “good” life is, and this is old—very old. Aristotle wrote a whole book about it titled Nicomachean Ethics. This only provides background context because I’ve read chapters for Introduction to Political Theory and Thought, but it is related to how and why we participate in certain activities over others, or how we conduct ourselves in those activities, and other differences that might be seen if we asked each other these types of questions. Purpose is the central through-line in these discussions—in other words, “How should we live?” is the question, and, like the more descriptive discussion of what constitutes a good life, is thousands of years old. It even becomes more pertinent when you are aware that ideas, relationships, etc. may have an expiration date, that they don’t simply exist on their own for one reason or another—conflict separation in space and time—or spacetime, take your pick—people knowing different aspects about life and thus unknowingly use either or other factors. Many are self-sustaining, however, for no other reason than both people want to associate with the other person, because it isn’t even a question as to why. It would be easier to imagine anything else than not associating with the other person. That, at least in some form, is what we would call love. Those earlier scenarios where associations do break down, however, are caused by lapses or breakdowns in communication, and in those cases, distance can easily weaken or sever those types of connections. These attributes are a choice, however, as they are created by communication between two or more people.

     The knowledge of these expiration dates of sorts can implicitly increase the value of each interaction. Now, there is not a potentially infinite number by default, but each has to build on the next in sequence. It applies equally as well to other activities. Supply and demand may lead to questionable or problematic economics; nevertheless, the intuitive understanding of the relationship between value and uniqueness holds. How we conduct communication may be a choice, but it is informed by environments, and our environment is this campus institution. Institutions, however, are made possible by people, both in choosing to create them and in populating them. It is these people here at Reedley College who have taught me all I have written here. Introduction to Political Theory and Thought, other Political Science classes, I am wrapping up this semester. History, I have yet to finish; likewise, Physics. But the larger, meaningful impression people made, whether professors, friends, or simply peers, the more of them I have remembered because of who they were.

     Remember, time is valuable in the context. We all have limited time to exist and interact. I had to learn this myself in a concrete way years ago. As often said, we are the way the universe knows itself. The arrow of time keeps moving, and we keep moving through it. We need to make the most of our time with each other.