I just got back from Barcelona (lucky me, I know) and, in addition to enjoying lots of Catalonian food (and wine), I also got to think about time in a different way. Partly, this was being unplugged from my computer, rarely checking email, and not having to shuffle kids to various activities around town. (We did have plenty of activities in Barcelona, but the pacing was much more mellow.)
Mostly, it was about seeing things like this:
Granted, most of the temple is gone, but these columns are still here, almost 2,000 years later. I don’t think this much of Austin will be here in 2,000 years.
Then, there’s this:
Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia church has been under construction since 1882. They’re rushing to finish it by 2026, the centenary of the architect’s death.
In a time of 140 characters and people building businesses to flip them rather than to build something to last, it was a refreshing perspective on time and permanence. I’m not about to go start carving things out of stone (I really like the possibilities of our virtual world), but something to think about– are we building things that will matter beyond our narrow, day-to-day concerns?