Pips But No Gladys Knight...

Today is February 5...

On this day in 1924, The Royal Greenwich Observatory began broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal or the "BBC Pips".

The BBC Pips are helpful but not nearly as musical as the later Pips who became famous singing with Gladys Knight. I mean nothing from Greenwich can compare with "Midnight Train to Georgia".

Someone, in or around 1924, thought that it would be a good idea to know what time is was. In fact, to know exactly, precisely, and without question, rather than a "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" approach, what time it was.

I have noticed, and perhaps you have as well, that some people are more GMT and some people are more in the school of Albert Einstein when it comes to time. In other words, for some people "Pip, pip! Johnny on the spot!" is their watchword. They believe that punctuality is the pride of princes.

Others, however, think of time as relative. if you say you are going to do such and such at this or that time, you can expect them to show up...whenever they please. They do not much care what the pips are saying, and let the pips fall were they may. As it were.

I suppose you could say that both approaches have their merit.

If you care about others, you will fall into the first category, and will work hard to be on time. No, I have that slightly wrong. One of the best commentators on time says this, and you will know who she is if you have been in the Lake Brantley Marching Patriots:

"To be on time is to be late!"

So true!