Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Day one hundred and sixty two ... One Mississippi ...

So much of our lives happens within a second.

From the tumblers giving way to an inserted key in a lock.

One Mississippi ...

To the luckless mosquito that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Two Mississippi ...

Be it a weary smile exchanged between two people passing on a hot day.

Three Mississippi ...

Or a snowball's quick swarm of mangled patterned flakes on the back of a puffy, down coat.

Four Mississippi ...

It could be the first clap in a volley of applause for an act that has left its audience uncertain of its finality.

Five Mississippi ...

Or the piercing pop of a balloon filled beyond capacity by an over-eager clown. 

Six Mississippi ...





Such a perfect increment.

In all the world, regardless of which method of measurement is used for volume, speed, weight, or distance, the second is beyond reproach. 

It is untouchable.

It is universal.

And it is irrefutable.

I was just having dinner at my house when I had a fantastic second.

I had my meal in front of me, my computer behind that, and two cups on my end table: one, plastic with cold water; the other, ceramic with hot tea.

I was staring at the computer screen when I reached behind with my left hand for what I expected to be my cold water.

You can guess what happened next.

"Yeowch!!!"

And my head turned faster than my eyes as the lamp, wall, guitars, dresser, and mirror blurred in a wash of color and light.

And it made me laugh.

I hadn't hurt myself, not by a long-shot. But I had had an amazing second.

Such contradictory sensations are enough to elicit a short burst of euphoria.

Our reaction time from the first acknowledgement of danger to the action that follows is so short, and yet, to me, sometimes it almost feels as if I could jump around in that increment of time as if I were on a trampoline, with that funny feeling in my belly that some people love, and others cannot stand.

Seven Mississippi ... 

How cool is that?

Forget what I did all day. Forget how my bike ride was. Don't even think about where I went for lunch.

How was that last second?

Good?

Yeah, I thought so too.

There's one coming up I'm keeping an eye on. 

No, not that one.

There it is. That one was nice. 

Eight Mississippi ...





With each second we age.

When we are young it is anticipated like a slow drive to the greatest event on earth.

Are we there yet?

After a time, it becomes like a test we haven't studied for.

Oh, no. Is that test today?

Nine Mississippi ...


Aging without wisdom is taxing.

Together though, they can create untold wealth.

I've been having a lot of great seconds lately.

Plenty of them have been spent working out.

Every day I spend at least 1800 seconds on the treadmill.

Every other day I spend about 2700 seconds lifting weights.

And the rest of the time I stay away from foods that will hamper my progress to lose 2 pounds a week.




















And here we are, at the end of the first week.

And I am 2 pounds lighter.





Plenty more seconds left in the week ahead.

I'm going to try to make the most of them.

One Mississippi at a time ...



Thanks for reading.

F.A.J.



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