Worth Of Physical Calendars

The other day, a family member asked this scribe the date. Almost instinctively, he reached for his smartphone to check the calendar app but he did not have it with him. So, he looked around, thinking about what else he could use to view the date. The sun’s location in the sky? 

The bird’s migratory pattern? The direction of the wind, perhaps? How can one conceivably tell the date without the aid of an internet-connected device?

The penman was lost. But that is when his gaze fell upon the paper calendar hanging on his wall. Oh, that’s right, he made an embarrassing realisation, calendars are more than just apps on the phone. 

Dang! Physical calendars! A representation of the simpler, less digital times of yore. An archaic article that has lost utility thanks to the internet and mobile apps that do its job (tell the date) better than it. Right?

Not quite. Physical datebooks, as it turns out, offer unique benefits that continue to make them relevant in our modern lives; and chief among them is the visual awareness they provide. Wall or desk calendars provide a tangible presentation of days that digital calendars struggle to replicate. 

By showing us a month or many months every time we look at it, they show us how close or how far particular dates are and allow us to plan effectively. The layout of printed calendars allows us to make mental connections between days that their digital counterparts do not. 

Similarly, turning pages of a calendar at the end of every month gives us a realisation of the passing of time. We realise just how fleeting our days are and, as a result, may become more conscious. 

It is just like spending money. Parting with cash makes us more aware of our spending habits than digital transactions where all we see are numbers on screens. Our brain registers tangibility more. 

We can also scribble on paper calendars, add notes and mark important occasions. 

We can do that on digital ones as well but they are not as satisfying. Admittedly, this is a personal preference but there is a different feel to scribbling on paper than adding rows on a device. 

The latter may be more organised but the former is an expression of personality and a system uniquely made by the self for the self. One could make the same case for writing in exercise books versus typing on screens. It is worth mentioning again that this is a subjective matter based on nothing more than individual liking. 

Physical calendars also double as decorative elements. They can increase the appeal of a desk or a wall. Calendars featuring scenic landscapes and/or beautiful artwork elevate the class of the room they are present in and give people something to look at when they are bored or tired. They are part of what makes a space a room.

Furthermore, material calendars create conversations in a way that digital ones do not. How? By being the primary date keeping document in the room. By looking at his wall calendar, the writer of this column, for example, was able to not only give his relative the date but also tell her that her daughter’s birthday was coming up. This led to her looking at the calendar to check her father’s birthday and her marriage anniversary. Perhaps, if he had had looked at his phone, he would have only been able to tell her the date and nothing else.

When you look at a calendar, you see more than just what day of the month it is. You see holidays, festivals and in Nepali calendars, lunar days (Tithi). This gives us a topic for talk and connections. 

There is no physical-digital calendar debate raging in the society and this is far from an objective topic with one correct answer. Digital calendars are easy and offer more services. They are also more organised and can be used to set reminders for important events. They are also more accessible, at least to those with smartphones. But physical calendars also hold their relevance.

With the ability to visualise days and weeks, write, scratch and write some more, comprehend the passage of time and ignite dialogues, these tangible timekeepers offer benefits that cannot be replicated in the virtual realm. 

So, even if we feel we do not use them much, let us keep at least one printed calendar in our room. Let us not have to map out the position of stars in the night sky when someone asks us the date and we do not have our phones with us.