by Candice Ward-Ferris
Jandt wrote in An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in A Global Community: “When time is considered a resource, it becomes something to be managed and used responsibly.” As this program draws to a close, time is something that has been at the forefront of my thought. Italians, as discussed in class, see time as something more fluid. They take time during the day to “pause” and do not fill it with meetings. Almost everything is closed on Sundays, and while the busses appear to adhere to a regular schedule, there is not an urgent feeling that one must move to the next thing right away in Cagli.
My life in the U.S. is very structured and I am constantly concerned with being efficient with my time. I was looking forward to the Italian’s approach to it, simply so that I could slow down my life. While time in class and the work required after it is a necessary requirement for the academic component of the course, I still feel as though I have been living in a linear pattern – always planning my next step or how I will fill my day. I have tried to make this experience truly about being present, being observant, and absorbing the scenery, but I still wonder how much of my time I have tried to control, instead of just letting it flow. Is this cultural value a harder one to shake? Would letting go of control over time make me a more flexible person? I am not sure I know the answer, but in thinking about cultural values and where the U.S. and Italy differ, time is certainly a value that plays both a covert and overt role in our lives.
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