OUT IN STAFFORD, UK - CHANGING SPACES BUT CONSTANT TIME?

Activities in Stafford Town Centre

For those of you who will be wondering  what or where is Stafford, it is one of  the biggest of the several towns - others include Lichfield, Tamworth, Newcastle-under-lyme, Hanley, Biddulph, and Rugeley - situated in the sprawling shire County of Staffordshire - thus the name, Stafford - in the West Midlands of England, UK.

Stafford has a still functioning castle relic, in the form of Stafford Castle, and, along with other parts of Staffordshire, it has played  significant roles in the history of the then evolving English Monarchy and state, including the English Civil War of the 1640s, and, even before then, in the 900s, when Staffordshire was part of the Kingdom of Mercia, one of the 3 kingdoms reigning over different parts of the country at the time.

Weatherspoon Bar in  Stafford

Like many other towns, nationally, Stafford is experiencing its share of the effects of the global economic slow-down, and government imposed austerity programmes. This is reflected in the number of shops in the Town which have closed down and the general decline in economic activity. In the near future, Stafford Town Centre or High Street - East Gate Street, will probably suffer more economic haemorrhage when the new business centre to the south of the Town is completed and open for business.

For the purpose of my out and about in Stafford excursion today, however, it was not to ponder the vibrancy or lack of economic activity in the Town. No, my purpose was more leisurely and had to do with me meeting up with a close friend and former work colleague. For this we met at the southern end of East Gate Street and made our way to a Weatherspoon Bar, where we each had a meal and drinks, before sitting comfortably and engaged on the never ending challenge of putting the world to right, and identifying the meaning of life and the purpose of our existence.

A water way running through Stafford

It has been sometime now since my close friend and I have met up for one of our regular get together. On this occasion, we spent, fittingly, some time discussing humans' preoccupation with the utilization of 'time', which, in the context of 'time and space' as we might apply it to the universe, both seen and unseen, is infinite, whereas the time span of humans, both individually and as a specie, is extremely finite. So much so that, in comparison to 'space and time', our 'life time' is no more than a microscopic particle.

My friend's approach to the utilization of time is to use it in a planned and structured manner, whereas my approach is that, except where, let us say, your profession or job, requires you to manage your time efficiently, time should be put to work to achieve the greatest enjoyment for its temporary or finite 'owner.'  It was only natural that our discussion of the utilization of 'time' should have taken us to considering that perennial question and the probably always somewhat poignant answer; 'what is the purpose or meaning of our living, to which the answer, as both of us appear to have known or believe, is to live the live we are living now or that we aspire to live. Nothing beyond that.

Beyond such profound but often discussed issues, my friend and I simply spend our few hours together discussing such mundane things as the good times we had in the past with other friends, some of whom have had 'time being called' on them, and the state our our health. On a happier note, we shared memories of holidays we have recently had, and discussed plans for those to come.

As we ended our get together we shook hands and wished each other well, until the next time we meet again, on our finite journey along the path of 'infinite time and space.'

Endeavour to live your live as fully as you are able to, avoiding being overly strict with the use to which you deploy your 'time', and probably needlessly deny yourself an opportunity to have an enjoyable experience.

Stafford Prison

OWOHROD