I miss the seasons. I’ve noticed that times move differently in SF. Seasons provide a backdrop for our lives. The passage of time is more easily seen in the environment. In SF where we more or less have the same weather throughout the year mother nature can’t show us the passage of time. Instead we rely on the moments our lives change. “This was before Justin moved away.” “Oh this was right after I quit my job.” Time moves differently here. Not worse, not better, just different. The seasons remind us of the inexorable and consistent march of time. But SF is different. Time has no rhythm here. It moves to the inconsistent beat of the builders. One day you wake up and Waymos have taken over the streets. A month passes and the billboards are all about AI agent startups. Overheard dinner conversations are now about which language model is best. I remember when it was crypto.
Instead SF has technology. The viral spread of byrd and lime scooters. Waymos dominating the road. The future is built in SF. Time moves at the pace of the builders.
I miss the seasons. Since moving to SF I’ve noticed the speed of my life change. I no longer rely on seasons to backdrop my life. My memories begin to blur together. Each day is cool and windy. Each day smells the same. Sometimes the sun shines a bit brighter. The sun sets sooner. It’s made me hold on tighter to the meaningful moments. I speak of time relative to shared moments instead of seasons. There is no more “last summer”. Instead I say, “When I worked at that startup…”, “this was before Justin moved away…”
I guess it provides some pressure to live a more full life. In a city plagued by hustle culture and technology, a city that constantly asks you what you’re building, if you want to have a healthy semblance of time you must find moments to remembers. Birthdays, housewarmings, a night out with friends, spontaneous park hangouts.
Time moves differently in San Francisco. Without the passage of the seasons we have no shifting backdrop for our story. Nothing natural to remind us of the consistent and constant passage of time. Instead we have the passage of technology and it’s incarnate companies. The backdrop is plagued with changing billboards, bus ads, and overheard dinner topics.