idtrainman
Time is Relative
It’s an interesting concept to think about on a cold, dark night under the stars. We think we get old, and in retrospect, we do! Albeit, under a much different vale than other things in life. Seventy years is a long life for many, but a young life for all, and to be able to compare and contrast the concept of time between varying subjects has just been captivating to me recently. 3 subjects, all old in their own sense, dwarfing each other in age and size as the years grow.
The night is silent in the farmlands of the Shenandoah Valley. Snow is spread across the almost barren landscape on a clear, moonlit night under the Blue Ridge. An eager readiness is setting in for a southbound train leaving Shenandoah, Virginia as I wait patiently in the farmfields above Port Republic. No cell reception leaves little to do other than to soak up the solitude and take in my surroundings in the dark. Above me is an endless universe, around me are endless rolling mountains and hills, and in front of me an N&W CPL signal still stands tall, controlling the interlocking at Lewis Run on the NS Roanoke District.
As a matter of comparison, and a little history on the subject matter, lets work from smallest to largest number wise. The railroad signal is likely older than most people’s grandparents. Likely installed during the advent of centralized traffic control on the railroad in the 1920’s, it has likely undergone very few modifications from the original look when installed. 100 years of technology is a great lifespan for anything in a constantly changing, modern era, but is dwarfed by the Blue Ridge Mountains rolling over the horizon. Spanning 615 miles through the eastern United States, these mountains have stood the test of time for around a billion years. They have seen whole species come and go, the world freeze over and thaw, and the rise of our race over the last 100,000 years. Above the horizon lies the vast sea of stars. Unfathomably endless and yet also inconceivable ancient. The Earth is nothing but a spec of dust in the ever expanding space (and time) in the universe.
It’s all an interesting concept to try and wrap your head around, especially when you’re freezing your feet off in a snow bank half a mile away from the warmth of your car’s heater. Nonetheless, I still find it fascinating, and I hope more people can stop for a moment at night to soak up the stars above. To gaze, wonder, and process how big we are, in an even bigger universe.
Time is Relative
It’s an interesting concept to think about on a cold, dark night under the stars. We think we get old, and in retrospect, we do! Albeit, under a much different vale than other things in life. Seventy years is a long life for many, but a young life for all, and to be able to compare and contrast the concept of time between varying subjects has just been captivating to me recently. 3 subjects, all old in their own sense, dwarfing each other in age and size as the years grow.
The night is silent in the farmlands of the Shenandoah Valley. Snow is spread across the almost barren landscape on a clear, moonlit night under the Blue Ridge. An eager readiness is setting in for a southbound train leaving Shenandoah, Virginia as I wait patiently in the farmfields above Port Republic. No cell reception leaves little to do other than to soak up the solitude and take in my surroundings in the dark. Above me is an endless universe, around me are endless rolling mountains and hills, and in front of me an N&W CPL signal still stands tall, controlling the interlocking at Lewis Run on the NS Roanoke District.
As a matter of comparison, and a little history on the subject matter, lets work from smallest to largest number wise. The railroad signal is likely older than most people’s grandparents. Likely installed during the advent of centralized traffic control on the railroad in the 1920’s, it has likely undergone very few modifications from the original look when installed. 100 years of technology is a great lifespan for anything in a constantly changing, modern era, but is dwarfed by the Blue Ridge Mountains rolling over the horizon. Spanning 615 miles through the eastern United States, these mountains have stood the test of time for around a billion years. They have seen whole species come and go, the world freeze over and thaw, and the rise of our race over the last 100,000 years. Above the horizon lies the vast sea of stars. Unfathomably endless and yet also inconceivable ancient. The Earth is nothing but a spec of dust in the ever expanding space (and time) in the universe.
It’s all an interesting concept to try and wrap your head around, especially when you’re freezing your feet off in a snow bank half a mile away from the warmth of your car’s heater. Nonetheless, I still find it fascinating, and I hope more people can stop for a moment at night to soak up the stars above. To gaze, wonder, and process how big we are, in an even bigger universe.