The Keeper of the Time

I don't wear watches. I don't like having things around my wrists simply because they get in the way. During the year I use my cell phone to make sure that I keep to my schedule. I always have my cell phone on my hip, which is good for keeping in touch and knowing the time. Once the weather turns warmer and I head back to L'arche, time is much less important. I never bother to carry a cell phone because it simply annoys me. I also have a long distance number.

With my lack of knowledge of the time for four months, and also the lack of caring I have for that fact, there is one person who constantly reminds me of the time. One of the core members at my house is always checking his watch. I have no idea if the watch even works, but he will always check it. His checking of the time is a great reminder for me.

Here at L'arche we really operate on a different schedule than the rest of the world. Whenever someone new comes and asks what time something is supposed to start, a response from one of my housemates is "Two o'clock, L'arche time." It is like living in a different time zone. We are so much less concerned with when things get done or when things begin. We don't really seem to care that much so long as we can do them with the people we care about.

The Keeper of the Time here doesn't really serve to remind us of the actual time. That's a completely irrelevant point in our lives. He does constantly serve to remind me how unbelievably precious every moment is and how blessed I am to have the time that I have. He keeps the time for me with all the precious moments that make up my life. So I will stop paying attention to the minutes and look at the moments that my keeper will keep track of.