It’s a Date!

It is a word that has been used for centuries. It has historical significance in one meaning, while possessing a pretty up-to-date connotation in another. It is a word that can remind someone of an important, upcoming day, a romantic rendezvous, and one's companion on such an outing. What is this word to which I am referring? It is the word “date.” Date is a word that has many different meanings.

The first kind of date is the calendar date. A calendar is a system of organizing units of time for the purpose of estimating time over wide-ranging periods. By convention, the day is the smallest calendrical unit of time; the measurement of fractions of a day is classified as timekeeping. The overview of this definition is due to the variety of methods that have been used in creating calendars. The common theme of calendar making is the desire to systematize units of time to satisfy the needs and preoccupations of society. In addition to serving practical purposes, the process of organization provides a sense, however illusive, of understanding and controlling time itself. Thus, calendars serve as a link between mankind and the “cosmos.” It is little wonder that calendars have held a revered status and have served as a source of social order and cultural identity. In most societies, a calendar reform is a remarkable event. Adoption of a calendar depends on the vivacity with which it is introduced and on the eagerness of society to accept it. For example, the acceptance of the Gregorian calendar as a worldwide standard spanned more than three centuries. The legal code of the United States does not specify an official national calendar. Use of the Gregorian calendar in the United States stems from an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1751, which specified use of the Gregorian calendar in England and its colonies. However, its adoption in the United Kingdom and other countries was laden with contest, chaos, and even violence. It also had a deeper cultural impact through the disruption of traditional festivals and calendrical practice. All in all, however, the calendar has benefited society in immeasurable ways. Without the calendar system of time keeping, editors wouldn’t be able to put a date on the Sunday newspapers. Without dates, the MLA format would not exist; therefore, the ability for one to place the date on his or her assignment for English Composition, or any other class for that matter, would be disabled! What kind of a society would we be living in if this were the case? Marking down one’s little brother’s birthday on one’s calendar, jotting down a doctor’s appointment in a weekly planner, and scheduling at all, altogether, would be impossible without the time keeping system. Makes one think, doesn’t it?

The second kind of date is an engagement to go out socially with another person, often out of romantic interest. A date can consist of many different things. A pair may decide to go to the movies. They may choose to dress up and dine at a fancy restaurant. The couple may wish to go for a picnic in a picturesque park, or they may decide to go to the beach, depending on where they live and on how close they are to one. The options are endless. A date is an opportunity to get to know a person better. Whether the pair are together, officially, or not, a date is always fun when you are with a decent partner.

The third kind of date is a person with whom you go out with for a particular excursion. One’s partner may be a close friend. He or she may be an acquaintance. He or she may be a love interest or even a “blind date” that you had never met before the night of the meeting. An outing has the potential to be a lot of fun no matter whom you are with.

Every definition of the word “date” has some sort of significance. Whether it be an appointment, a person, or an activity one participates in with somebody, each one of these types of dates are applicable to our daily lives. One cannot deny the use of the calendar system because, let’s face it, we refer to it all of the time! A guy may not be interested in girls, and a girl may not be attracted to the guys, but we all know ones who do date and have, therefore, heard all of the hilarious and, oftentimes, disastrous dating experiences that they have gone through. One may simply dislike the idea of dating altogether, but the idea is still there, and that person will know stories, regardless.

No matter what one’s stand is on relationships and “dating” and on the calendar system, it is interesting to discover the various definitions of the word “date.” “Date” can be a statement of calendar time, as on a document. It can be a prior arrangement to meet for lunch. The word “date” can even refer to a person’s escort for some sort of event. Date is, indeed, a word that contains more than one meaning.