Time and Space

 Jennifer Burton

Geog. 101

2/2/2021

Response paper #3

Time and Space

Time and space have been shrinking since the invention of the railroad. The railroad at its inception could go 30 Mph, which is three times faster than a stagecoach. Wolfgang Schivelbusch, wrote the article "Railroad Space and Railroad Time". He suggested two potential outcomes when time and space shrink and expand because of transportation .  The positive outcome is that travel becomes more accessible, and the negative impact he suggested was that the space “in-between” could potentially become lost.

Time and space diminished and expanded when the railroad was invented. Before the railroad, people frequently were born and died in the same place, not ever leaving their hometown. When the railroad was invented, the potential  for going wherever in the world you wanted became a new and exciting idea. Places people once thought were untouchable were now possible to see. An example from the reading suggests that when the railroad was invented it made it seem as though the “North Sea was breaking on the doorstep of Paris”. New transportation quickly came about including the car, boat and the airplane. Each has drastically changed how time and space is perceived. We are now connected to the whole world, no place is inaccessible. 

A potentially negative aspect about time and space diminishing is the potential of losing the “space between”. Trains, cars and airplanes start in one place and end at their destination in another place without regard to the space in-between. This causes the space in-between to become diminished or lost, and causes people to lose the “here and now”. When I think about this concept, I think about our journey in life. When we are more worried about our next destination, we miss everything in between; we miss the journey. We potentially arrive untouched by the experience. The journey of life or the journey to visit a new exciting place gives understanding and meaning to the destination. When you get to see or experience the struggle of getting to the destination you are more fulfilled and able to appreciate the destination.

The shrinking of time and space have two important outcomes to think about. One, the world becomes more accessible.  Two, the space that is overlooked can diminish. Traveling is a wonderful opportunity to learn and understand new places and people. Nonetheless, when we enjoy the journey and experience the landscape and new places along the way, we are able to enjoy the destination in a deeper way by learning to not forget the here and now.