Changing Time(s)

On the "fall back" weekend, when we get an extra hour to sleep (at least, that is how it is supposed to work — theoretically), I usually think of my mother. She taught first grade, and she used to say she liked this weekend better than any other.

This year was no exception. I was again reminded of my mother, although I had a little help. When I got up this morning, I logged on to Facebook and found the following entry from a woman who once was one of my editing students. She is now raising a 4–year–old boy.

"Extra hour of sleep? Yeah right. Nobody told my 4 year old."

I imagine that my mother would have sympathized. She raised two boys, and I suspect that she didn't look forward to the arrival of the "fall back" weekend until we were past the stage in our lives when we were prone to coming into her bedroom at the crack of dawn ready to begin the day.

I have no children of my own, but I haven't spent my adult years in a vacuum. Most of my friends are parents, and I have observed something in their children that I passed along to Laura.

"Even after they learn to tell time," I wrote, "children really only know two times of day for quite awhile — 'now' and 'not now.' "

A short time later, she reponded, "Sounds about right."

I left Facebook at that point and proceeded to the New York Times website — mostly to read its article on last night's World Series game between the Yankees and the Phillies.

But I got sidetracked by Maureen Dowd's column, which was about Barack Obama and one of the ways he distinguishes himself from his predecessor — by saluting the coffins of the casualties of war as they arrive in the United States.

"As Obama comforted families at a tragic moment, he also had to contemplate a tragic dimension of his own presidency: It's nice to talk about change, but you can't wipe away yesterday," Dowd wrote.

"Obama wants to be the cosmopolitan president of the world, and social engineer at home to improve the lives of Americans.

"But what he had in mind for renovating American society hinged on spending a lot of money on energy, education, the environment and health care. Instead, he has been trapped in the money pits of a recession and two wars.

"For now, the man who promised revolution will have to settle for managing adversity."

Just as parents would like to fast forward to the day when their children can understand the concept of time — and appreciate the value of an extra hour of sleep — I have no doubt that Obama would like to fast forward to the day when he has the freedom to focus on his higher objectives.

But that isn't how it works.

It's not that the unemployed or those who are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are not concerned about things like energy, education, the environment and health care. And it isn't that those things are not important.

But putting millions of Americans back to work and bringing American troops home safely are more urgent.

Maybe that sounds elementary, like things that are so basic that it should be assumed that they are priorities. But that's not the impression that is being left by the numbers; otherwise, NBC would not have devoted so much of an interview with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to it.

In some ways, I guess, adult Americans are like that 4–year–old boy I mentioned. They're focused on now. They may understand long–term goals. They may believe in long–term objectives. But those are concepts for many, word games for some.

It's fine to say that the recession is over — technically. But it won't be over for the unemployed until they have jobs.

And it's fine to say that America is winding down its involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. But that won't be a reality until sometime next year.

This may not be what Obama had in mind when he decided to seek the presidency. But it is what must be confronted.

Now.