Column: Time gives us no peace

I'm seriously considering it. Should I just drape a cloth over the Christmas tree my partner decorated so beautifully this year? Very carefully, so as not to damage the fragile ornaments. I wouldn't remove the string lights either. There's room in the corner of the bedroom. It wouldn't bother anyone, least of all me, because then I'd know all year round that I'd have another magnificent Christmas tree. It's made of a material that keeps its branches green forever anyway. It's practically a purchase for life. Sure, it sounds like a crazy idea. Nonsense. Obviously. But then again, I once saw a shop that sold tinsel and every imaginable Christmas decoration all year round. Reindeer, gnomes, nutcrackers, and of course nativity scenes and their accompanying figures. And don't the discount stores already start playing Christmas music and putting gingerbread and panettone on display again at the end of September? So I'm not entirely wrong. It's only a few months, which can easily be bridged. Easter isn't that far away anymore. Soon the first chocolate bunnies will come to life, and the eggs, as colorful as Christmas tree ornaments, will lie in green nests. No time for friends Time. It slips away from us, it runs through our fingers. Did we manage to deepen our friendships through personal visits last year? No, is the sobering answer. Once again, emails were written and texts sent. "But next year, we'll definitely make plans." We simply didn't have the time this time. Appointments, appointments. Watch out. It's already almost a week into 2026, and we know what's coming in the next few days, weeks, and months. The sporting calendar is insane, and it's impossible to keep up with everything in the many different sports if we don't want to completely derail our family life. You have to specialize. There's no other way, because there will inevitably be overlaps. Luckily for many, the Australian Open tennis tournament (Sinner) takes place before the Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina. But even with these two major events, you need some serious management skills to keep track of everything. And once again, time comes to mind, that relentlessly tormenting force that knows no standstill. Mercilessly, time ultimately drives us toward our end, and no one has yet managed to outsmart it. Conversely, things seem easier. The Olympic Games, for example, begin with the opening ceremony on February 6th. This is even official, yet incorrect and a first error, because time doesn't adhere to fixed schedules. Curling is already being played in Cortina a few days before the opening ceremony in Milan, and simultaneously in other locations. Fortunately, the curling rink has been finished since the last Olympic Games in 1956. The one in Milan for ice hockey is scheduled to be available on February 2nd of this year. Construction is still underway. A tight schedule The timing is incredibly tight. Even before the opening ceremony, figure skating competitions are already taking place in Milan. The teams are determining their medal winners. At least there, it's not about fractions of a second, which in almost every competition become the ultimate Olympic measure of success. Hundredths of a second will affect many lives, because even second place is only silver, although that's certainly a different perception. But the truth is: only gold counts. My biathlon colleague Michael Rösch recently told me, "If I hadn't won gold in Turin back then, I wouldn't be sitting next to you now." And Frank Wörndl, the 1987 slalom world champion, will never forget his defeat in Calgary in 1988 by six hundredths of a second against Alberto Tomba. "If I had won gold, my whole life would have been different," he often tells me. Six hundredths of a second. Time is merciless. But it is also incorruptible, and for that reason alone, the fairest judge in the battle for medals and trophies. It remains with us, it is a faithful soul, and essentially cannot be manipulated. However, it will also be important this year that we occasionally manage to switch off from it, that we take time for personal things we didn't get around to last year. That's one of the comforting things about time. It generously bestows its favor upon us from time to time. We should try to seize the opportunities it gives us and simply put aside the oft-used phrase, "I don't have time right now." There, where the Christmas tree awaits its next use—although I will definitely take the time to seriously consider this (harebrained) idea. At least in this case, time isn't going anywhere. About the author: Sigi Heinrich The multi-award-winning sports journalist (winner of the German Television Award and the Bavarian Sports Award, among others), physical education teacher, author, long-time sports editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, and commentator for Eurosport since 1989, dedicates his weekly column to a wide range of topics from his core area of sports and beyond. Sometimes with a wry smile, sometimes thoughtfully, and sometimes deliberately provocatively. After all, there's something for everyone.

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Column: Time gives us no peace

Time will once again dictate our rhythm this year. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich suspects that following the many major sporting events will require sophisticated time management. And he fears that we might once again be overwhelmed by it.

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