This I Believe: Time is precious

Editor's note: This I Believe is a nationwide essay project that aims to inspire public discourse about belief. For the third straight year, the R&L is publishing one local essay every day of February. For more information, visit www.thisibelieve.org.

 “Time is but a stream I go a-fishing in.”   ~ Henry David Thoreau.

Time is a word that has endless and incomprehensible meanings for many of us.  I’m not quite sure what Thoreau meant by his quote, but I believe that we are meant to look into that stream like it is a measure of our life’s work.  I can see myself now standing in that stream, wading as the quick moving waters pass by like hours, minutes or even seconds.  In the past, I have not even thought about where the waters go after they pass me by -- nor did I think about the rapids yet to come.  I have been too distracted by what lies on or under the surface to keep any record of time.  Furthermore, there is stillness and calm while I am in that stream.  As I look into the waters, I feel peace. 

I believe that time is the most important concept on this planet.  Not only is time important to each and every one of us, but so too is the effort that goes into each scenario, experience, memory and moment.  As children we are taught to read a clock -- an old-fashioned analog one at that. There is a value put on that lesson and its importance stays with us until the day that we die.  I can remember my parents hammering home the importance of not wasting time. There were teachers who pushed the importance of making the most of my time. Often, I felt time’s importance in the cramming and result of procrastination on assignments, projects and papers. 

Yet, since there is no real way for a person to measure what he does with his time, the importance is strictly limited to its holder. It is solely up to me to say I have used every second of the day to its very degree. I can say that no second was wasted if I so choose.  The problem with these statements is that I often don’t say them. Truth be told, I do feel as though I have squandered those seconds, lost those minutes, can’t comprehend those hours most days. You would think that, as important as this issue is, I would be more responsible in looking after the time I have allotted.  Well, shouldn’t we all? 

I believe that the time and effort one puts into a relationship makes all the difference.  I have spent countless hours with a number of different people.  But I cannot say that, just because I spent time with a person, there was a great value put on our relationship. I think about the times I have sat in a class, listening to a teacher or professor who bored the skin off an elephant. I can’t put value on that relationship.

Instead, I believe it’s the effort that one puts into that relationship. A person who values another person’s name and calls him by such merits respect. I have often sat down to write a list of all the people I have spent time with and tried to measure their influences on my life. Whether it was the time I spent in a crowded classroom with a radical professor or the time spent admiring a fiery old man on a football field, I feel their being has influenced me. 

Even with my own family, I wonder what the price is that I would put on the time spent.  Specifically, I can go home to Michigan and spend time with my family, but I don’t know the value that I get out of that time. My father often sits at his desk and works on various things on his computer when I visit.  I talk to him, but I don’t think he listens. He may hear me -- but I don’t think he is listening. It may be just the opposite when I visit with a close friend.  I usually stop by and see my best friend, Travis, when I am home.  We could talk for 30 minutes, but to me and Travis, it seems like we’ve been chatting for hours. The effort to listen makes time spent worth it.     

I believe that time is the paper that we write our memories on.  There are so many memories that I have that I look back on with joy and laughter. Yet I can never remember how much time was spent. My mind is like a file cabinet filled with memories, thick and rich in detail. I can recall them at any time I choose.  When I’m in need of a good laugh, I just remember days from my youth and time spent with childhood friends. Their foolish games remind me of times of innocence and carelessness. When I need some motivation, I think of those who have supported me throughout my life.  Their persistence gave me hope and drive to do more with the time that I had. When I am grieving, I take time -- but also remember those celebratory moments, too.  For no one is promised tomorrow.  So, I say, “Make the time you have on this planet worth it.” 

I believe time is important.

Jerry Snyder is a teacher at West Iredell High School and is a member of the Leadership Statesville Class of 2012.