it's a very abstract idea that i have probably explained very poorly, sorry lol
No, you explained it perfectly. That's essentially what I was saying but opened a can of worms which is that time is a dimension and not a flow. This is the best way I can think to explain it:
Time is a dimension, if you disagree look it up. Now that we understand it's a dimension, think about the other dimensions you know of. Just because you are in your chair right now, in a specific spot in all 3 dimensions, and have your vision blocked by a computer screen, does not mean that the area 3 feet ahead of you that you do not perceive is not there. Just because you're sitting at a current position in the time dimension, does not mean the area in front of you that you can not see is not there. The universe is an object, just like you and me, and if you look at it in different spots on the 4th dimension you will see it at various sizes. It will grow, reach a maximum size, then contract. Once it contracts to the smallest possible size, it will explode again, grow, shrink, explode, grow, shrink, explode. It has no definable beginning, and has no definable end.