It’s all just a matter of time

I had the pleasure of visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum today, and there were far too many floors in that building. There were so many pieces of history inside the building including things like: sculptures, costumes, jewelry, architecture, weaponry, and more from all over the world. But the thing that stood out the most to me was a small model clock tower. It was lined with silver and gold and its hands were forever stopped at one specific time, 12:05. On its own, the clock is a very well made and beautiful piece of art and architecture, but it stood out even more to me because of how much it related to a couple of the shows that I have seen while on this trip. The two that I’m thinking of are Back to the Future the Musical and Benjamin Button the Musical. Two very weird movies to make movies out of, but two musicals that have significant themes of time. Time is the only element we can’t control, it will always be in control of our lives and determine when and where we go. In Benjamin Button, the main character is always fighting the clock and forever dreading the day that his own clock stops. His battle with time gives him purpose, but sometimes forces him to ignore where and who he is in the moment. In my head, this golden clock tower resembles his fate. Ominously ticking onwards and forcing Benjamin to count down his life. In Back to the Future, Marty is literally racing against time to return to a life he cares about and the people he loves. He is always running out of time throughout the show, and I see the golden clock tower as the symbol of his success once he finally beats the clock. In a more literal sense, the golden clock tower also represents the clock tower they used in the show. All in all, time is a scary concept, but if we cower and fear it then we will be able to grow, learn, and create the wonderful things of life. Time is a reminder, but there is no rule of nature saying we have to listen to it all the time. Sometimes it’s good to just live in the moment.