TICK TICK TICK

“I counted my years and realised that I have less time to live by, than I have lived so far.

I feel like a child who won a pack of candies: at first, he ate them with pleasure but when he realized that there was little left, he began to taste them intensely.

I have no time for endless meetings where the statutes, rules, procedures and internal regulations are discussed, knowing that nothing will be done.

I no longer have the patience to stand absurd people who, despite their chronological age, have not grown up.

My time is too short: I want the essence; my spirit is in a hurry. I do not have much candy in the package anymore.

I want to live next to humans, very realistic people who know how to laugh at their mistakes and who are not inflated by their own triumphs and who take responsibility for their actions. In this way, human dignity is defended and we live in truth and honesty.

It…..is the essentials that make life useful.

I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch the hearts of those whom hard strokes of life have learned to grow with sweet touches of the soul.

Yes, I’m in a hurry. I’m in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.

I do not intend to waste any of the remaining desserts. I am sure they will be exquisite, much more than those eaten so far.

My goal is to reach the end satisfied and at peace with my loved ones and my conscience.

We have two lives and the second begins when you realize you only have one.”

~Mário de Andrade (São Paulo 1893-1945) Poet, novelist, essayist and musicologist. One of the founders of Brazilian modernism.

I found this online and it resonated with me, especially after what I went through in January. During my hospital stay, I sometimes wondered if “this” was the end. I became very very reflective, while at the same time trying to remain calm and peaceful. An internet search of this poem reveals much about the life of Andrade and how he was (and is) a big thing in São Paulo. The same internet also has links claiming that he didn’t write the poem at all. Either way, I had seen the last line as a meme before, but I didn’t realize that it was a whole work until now.

Those that know me also understand my fascination with numbers: first and foremost as a musician and drummer….I am obsessed with time, beats, rhythm, and how all of it fits in with the universe and how we all measure it. This poem made me think: if our lives could be measured in a comparison to a 24-hour day, what time is it for me? What time is it for you?

Let me explain:

Let’s say that the clock begins to run when we are born, and stops when we do. An internet search tells me that the average human life span (in 2024ish) is about 78.5 years. I’ll use that number, which might make all readers over the age of 50 feel better (ahem). So, we have to calculate 78.5 years into 24 hours to see what time it may be on our life clock. Here we go. What time is it for you?

• If you are around 20 years old, your 24-hour clock reads 6:24 in the morning. 
• At 30 years of age, it’s just after 9.00 am in the morning. Have some breakfast and take stock: you have ALL DAY.
• When you hit 40 it’s just after noon and time for lunch. 
• At 50 years old is right around 3:20 pm. This time of day for me usually represents a little dip in my energy level before my second wind kicks in. Time for a cup of tea perhaps?
• When we hit 60 years old, it’s approximately 6:20 pm in the evening. You have less than 6 hours left.

Although this is neat and tidy, none of us know if that 78.5 number is set. Certainly we all know people who have gone way past it, and, tragically, way before it. Perhaps though, as the poem teaches us, we really do have two lives, and the second one begins when we understand that we do indeed only have one. Tick, tick, tick. Make them all count. We all have a legacy to leave… Enjoy the desserts and live with passion and purpose.

Stay safe, stay awesome and stay tuned. Tick, tick, tick.