How to Stop Time

by Matt Haig

‘History isn’t something you need to bring to life. History already is alive. We are history. History isn’t politicians or kings and queens. History is everyone. It is everything. It’s that coffee. You could explain much of the whole history of capitalism and empire and slavery just by talking about coffee. The amount of blood and misery that has taken place for us to sit here and sip coffee out of paper cups is incredible.’

‘It’s just making them realise that everything they say and do and see is only what they say and do and see because of what has gone before. Because of Shakespeare. Because of every human who ever lived.’

My mother trembled. Robbed of her clothes she could no longer speak.

This was interesting - powerful, even. It makes one think about just how we feel and protect ourselves with clothing. I imagine in a moment of pure weakness, it would look a lot like being naked and feeling violated, the utmost possible extent.

All you can do with the past is carry it around, feeling its weight slowly increase, praying it never crushes you completely.

Places don’t matter to people any more. Places aren’t the point. People are only ever half present where they are these days. They always have at least one foot in the great digital nowhere.

And, just as it only takes a moment to die, it only takes a moment to live. You just close your eyes and let every futile fear slip away. And then, in this new state, free from fear, you ask yourself: who am I? If I could live without doubt what would I do? If I could be kind without the fear of being fucked over? If I could love without fear of being hurt? If I could taste the sweetness of today without thinking of how I will miss that taste tomorrow? If I could not fear the passing of time and the people it will steal? Yes. What would I do? Who would I care for? What battle would I fight? Which paths would I step down? What joys would I allow myself? What internal mysteries would I solve? How, in short, would I live?

This!!!

I had finally had this experience of total understanding of time. What is and what was and what will be. It is just a single second,

Wow. This...... Was what i realized this summer. All of time exist in this one single second.

You have to choose to live.

‘Everything is going to be all right. Or, if not, everything is going to be, so let’s not worry.’

I understand. I understand you can be free. I understand that the way you stop time is by stopping being ruled by it. I am no longer drowning in my past, or fearful of my future. How can I be? The future is you.

😩🥺❤️

It was time travel and a therapy session in one, minus the psychiatrist’s fees and the DeLorean.

Lol… acknowledgements but funny

Most of all, I must acknowledge my wife and best friend Andrea Semple, who is the first reader I write for, and the first one to tell me what is and isn’t working, and who is a daily inspiration. The one I always want to stop time for.

Oh my god — this was in the acknowledgments but even so, I had to highlight. This is beautiful.