17. Time: Coveted, Slippery, and Finite

Welcome to That's So Intimate.  In this episode Bryan & I sit with the elusive, beautiful concept of time — what it is, how we feel it, and how it shapes the way we love, work, and live. We riff on definitions (is time the measure of existence?), physics (Einstein’s relativity), and how perception warps the moments — why a day can stretch or fly, why grief and reminders of mortality make time feel suddenly precious, and why some cultures track time by tides and cycles while modern life measures it by productivity. We talk about the cultural forces that shape our schedules — from sundials to standardized train time to the modern chronocratic push to equate worth with output-per-hour — and how that pressure can crowd out rest, ritual, and real connection. Then we get practical: small rituals that anchor us (weekly dinners, fireside evenings, a daily gratitude alarm, the high/low/prospect check-in with kids) and ways to align where you spend your minutes with what you truly value. We also get real about trade-offs: money for time, travel vs. creature comforts, the impulse to “do more” vs. the gift of simply being. We ask gentle, powerful questions — what would you change if you had one year left? Who would you see more? What would you stop doing? — and offer a kind invitation to notice, prioritize, and choose intentionally without shame. This is a warm, conversational episode about presence, mortality, and the everyday practices that make life feel rich. If it lands with you, share it with someone you love and lean into the small rituals that help time feel sacred. Let's get intimate.