A Timely Passenger

Stanley still has time on his mind.

The setting? The car. Me in front, driving, and Stanley in the back on our way to New Edisons.

Stanley: Marty?

Me: Yeah?

Stanley: You know about time zones?

Me: You still on that?

Stanley: Of course. So you know about time zones?

Me: Yeah. What about 'em?

Stanley: Well, I was looking at a map today.

Me: Congratulations.

Stanley: I'm ignoring that.

Me: Okay.

Stanley: So, I was looking at the map today and you know how the timezones change in the middle of the country?

Me: Yeah.

Stanley: Well, does that mean that somewhere, it's one time where someone lives and a different time across the street?

Me: I dunno. Probably. I guess it has to change somewhere.

Stanley: Weird, eh?

Me: I guess.

Stanley: So what if you went to school across the street?

Me: What?

Stanley: What if you went to school across the street? Would you have to get up really early?

Me: Or you could sleep in really late.

Stanley: What?

Me: Depends on whether you're an hour ahead of them or behind.

Stanley: Oh.

A big pause.

Stanley: Okay. If you're an hour behind.

Me: Then I guess you'd have to get up early, cross the street and get there an hour later.

Stanley: Even though it's just across the road?

Me: Yep. You'd leave your house at 7:30 your time and arrive at school at 8:35.

Stanley: And what about the kids who live across the street.

Me: Oh, they could just leave their houses at 8:30. Not fair, is it?

Another long pause.

Stanley: But they'd really be getting up at the same time as you, right? In the great scheme of the universe. Right? 'Cause if the teacher asked the first kid, "When did you leave your house?", he'd say, "Five minutes ago." And if the teacher asks the other kid, "When did you leave your house?", he'd say, "Five minutes ago," too. Right?

Me: Now you're catching on.

Stanley: On the way home, if you left school at three, you'd get home around two, though.

Me: Indeed you would.

Really long pause.

Stanley: Marty?

Me: Yeah? What now?

Stanley: I hope people there understand that.

Me: Understand what?

Stanley: That it's really the same time in the scheme of the universe.

Me: Why?

Stanley: So those kids have the same bedtime. Nobody should get cheated.

You've got to give him credit. He's got priorities.