Then - A Paradox

I know I haven't written anything in a while...I just don't know what to write about. I think it's time I thought of a theme for this blog, and then add extraneous posts when I feel the need to write about something outside of the scope of the theme. I like words a whole lot...I was thinking of writing posts about certain words, but that can get boring.

For example, I'm really intrigued by the word "then." It's strange because it means something in the past or future (or a statement of fact). For example, in describing the past you might say, "Back then I could run 4 miles." In describing the future you might say, "Until then let's watch TV." So "then" means that time in the past and, also, that time in the future. Philosophically speaking, because "then" is a certain point of time, regardless of whether it's in the past or future, "then" is some all-encompassing entity of all points in time beyond and before the exact present. Which, it can be argued, means that all points in time that are NOT the exact present, are the same. The only time that is "different" is the time right now, right this second...the ever-present present. However, "then" can also be used in a present tense; "Let's go to the movies then." Saying this indicates that in the present you are deciding where to go (which is actually the future, but forget about that right now), and someone declares to just go to the movies. In that present moment, "then" is being used to express a decision made at that same moment (while it actually means the future).

This is why words amaze me...you can philosophize about the simplest word forever (I could go on and on and on about "then"...actually get into dictionary meanings and proper grammatical format...but this is more of a stream-of-consciousness thing).