February 18, 1999

Countdown

Listening to a countdown is one of the most thrilling moments of our lives. Ten seconds to a space shuttle launch, one minute till New Year's, a day before your twenty-first. . . all these lead to exhilaration and glee. However, I have always been a spectator to countdowns and never a participant. I am not one to set deadlines for myself or make lists or plot work schedules weeks or months in advance. I might look years into the future and plan somewhat, but that is only a general guide. I have never placed a deadline on myself for say twenty-four hours. Will being inside this slowly winding down clock be as thrilling as watching from the outside? Or will all happiness and enjoyment be crushed as the envelope of time crunches in around me? I might just have to try and see.