John Steinbeck reflects on the nature of memory and time in "Travels with Charley." He suggests that simply having a mundane or uneventful past leads to a different perception of time, where such periods are not remembered with clarity. Without significant experiences to mark the passage of time, memories can feel compressed and less substantial.

Steinbeck argues that it is the significant events, or "time-stones," that allow our memories to gain depth and dimension. These moments transform our understanding of time, emphasizing that without experiences to anchor our recollections, time seems to diminish and lose its significance.