If by some chance – a technological glitch, a gift from a higher power, or just so that the Earth could literally keep spinning – you were given the gift of extra time, what would you do with it?
Yes, there is such thing as a “leap second,” and according to Michelle Z. Donahue’s National Geographic article “2016 Will Be One Second Longer Than Expected,” the world sometimes gifts us with an extra second of time. As humans, it seems as if we are always wishing for extra time. Extra time to spend on vacation, extra time to study for an exam, extra time to spend with the friends and family who we hold closest to our hearts.
If this wish were to actually come true, as it does in the form of an extra second, what would you do with it?
Emily Rose, the author of the following op-ed, responded to the question inspired by Donahue’s article with a thoughtful piece on how she is spending her extra second.
"To match the world's clocks to the rotation of the Earth in December of this leap year we have all been gifted with an extra second of time. This momentous extra second is scheduled when most people are busy, bustling around for holidays with families, not during summer vacation or in August during Gishwhes. I urge all readers not to let this extra time pass unrealized.
I feel strongly that we all need to treasure our time on Earth, and to honor this free gift from science and technology, I plan to be wholly within that second without allowing worries about family, money, work, or my Team Subtext to interfere with the appreciation of unscheduled time with and for myself. As a busy working single mother, I will finally have that precious “me” time that I frequently lament the loss of - that extra second where no one has any claim on me except me.
While some may feel that my plan for this controversial leap second is selfish and self-serving, I disagree vehemently. Don’t we each deserve a smidgeon of time that can be devoted to appreciation of our own lives? And, yes, more brilliant minds than mine have contemplated the need to add an extra second, but even Aristotle acknowledged its necessity.
Don’t waste your time on Earth. Don’t waste your leap second. While you may spend yours more productively than I, at least don’t let it pass unremarked. Make each moment of your life purposeful."
So the universe is gifting us an extra second this year. How are you going to live it?
As Emily Rose states above, I agree that it is crucial to give that additional second of time a purpose. We should not let it slip through our fingers without noticing, without a thought, without a concern. Be selfish and steal it for yourself, to reflect on and appreciate the little presents life shares with us every so often. Or be selfless and use it to benefit another person by sharing a smile, holding a door open, or saying thank you. Whatever you do with it, treat it with the respect that the rare gift of time deserves.
