Everything flows ... continuity is a characteristic of the time, at least as we know it and without going into too much sophistry of physics. It simply means that tomorrow the sun will rise again, and it will not be too different from today. Forse noi saremo differenti, la coscienza del tempo che passa lascia sempre il suo segno, una tacca in più, un istante in più, un altro po' più avanti. La chiave è il segno "più" che viene comunemente incaricato di indicare l'avanzare del tempo: è come se ricordassimo a noi stessi che andare avanti è comunque sinonimo di crescere, di aggiungere, di guardare in alto. Tornare indietro è concesso raramente, e mai in termini assoluti: tornare sui propri passi è comunque un movimento in avanti nel tempo, perciò non ti bagnerai mai nelle stesse acque di un fiume... esso scorre, per l'appunto.
Why, then, to celebrate the anniversaries? What actually occurs in a system where everything is constantly changing? Why include the "keyframes" in the unstoppable flow of things, buoys immediately abandon the current, to which we can not even ever again? What makes a date, a symbol does not exist in nature, something that gives us a sense of the cycle of repetition, of finding a known point, to come back to hang on for not having the anxiety of being scattered into the unknown ? True, there is a cycle of seasons, the Earth revolves around the sun in a closed orbit, and so forth, but in fact even the cycle of seasons, including the orbit of the Earth are never exactly equal to themselves: the sun, tomorrow will be different. So? Why leave a trace that can never be followed?
Well, I can think of one thing: for two points passes one and only one straight line. What are guesses? Let me explain. The living creatures on our planet, they all, more or less, a feature that distinguishes them from inanimate objects: memory. From that instinctive, dare I say planned, insects and single-celled creatures to that of dolphins, elephants, and humans. The memory is where those "keyframes" acquire meaning, where, looking back in time, you can see strada che hai fatto, le svolte, le incertezze e le direzioni che hai preso, fino ad arrivare dove sei ora, in questo preciso istante. Guardare indietro, però, non può essere fine a se stesso: sarebbe come voler guidare in retromarcia, osservando la strada solo dagli specchietti. E comunque andando indietro... io credo che il significato sia un altro. Per due punti passa una ed una sola retta. Che punti? Beh, i più ovvi: il tuo stato presente e l'ultimo ricordo che ti interessa ricordare, l'ultimo "keyframe" che vuoi prendere in considerazione. E la retta a cosa serve? Ad indicarti la strada.
Certo, espresso così può sembrare semplicistico, troppo lineare (Linear? Look well ...), a kind of determinism led to excess. But I am convinced that is exactly what happens. Although more than you could straight talk instead of curves, cones of probability of trajectories ... that can often seem intricate and absurd as the sticks of Shanghai. And, just as often, require the same patience and a steady hand to be brought to reason. All, however, passes through a single point: now. Now, at this very moment, as I write, while you read, both while we move through time and space.
No ònfalomane (from the greek "omphalos" navel), not I think that I, or anyone else, is the center of the universe, in fact I am convinced that the universe exists because of the relationships between all points, thanks to the very existence of these points, which create the plot of this 'Now, moving all together, some in one direction, some in another. But everyone forward. Everyone's on. Some of the same ahead. Other opposing forwards. Will continue.
So let us mark with another mark midnight on December 31 of this duemilaeotto and go forward.
Happy New Year to all.