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Time isn't just a concept, it's a reality. Whether we like it or not, time passes us by daily. We see it as a thumb-sucking infant turns into a rebellious adolescent and young adults turn into the elderly. Often, we don't give it a second thought until that first wrinkle or gray hair appears. Then, we ask, "Where did the time go?" We begin to have regrets and make comments like, "If I had it all to do over again..." But that chance will never come-time presses on, and we realize we are just a blip in a process that has aged the earth for 4 billion years.

So, what exactly is time? Is it real or just atoms and space? A thousand years ago, the sun dial told man whether it was noon or late afternoon. Today, a wrist watch or a cell phone relate time down to the smallest nanosecond. Utilizing these three inventions, it becomes obvious "time," as we know it today, is an invention. Without it, corporate America could not function. The question now becomes, who invented it and why?

The answer is simple, but one that few people know about. In the 1800's, the railroad opened up a quick and easy way to travel. Unfortunately, there was one problem. From city to city, people were missing their trains-their time didn't match the railroad's time. To solve this problem, C. F. Dowd and William Frederick Allen created the four time zones: Central, Pacific, Eastern, and Mountain. On November 18, 1883, at exactly 9:00 a.m., everyone in the U.S. and Canada set their clocks by railroad time. In 1884, the rest of the world followed. Time, as we know it today, was invented.

Although we invented the language to describe time, the zones and daylight savings time to make it work, and the various instruments to keep us informed of the time, the concept of time is not an invention or anything we can control. It's just there. It exists whether we want it to or not. Just ask the dinosaurs!

Learn more about this author, Moira Bryant.
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