The Gift

"Imagine," said the woman, "that the Bank offers you 86 400 dollars every morning to spend as you see fit. It's a gift, not a loan. You cannot accumulate it, any amount that is unspent by the end of the day is taken away. But the next morning, you start off the day with a brand new 86 400 dollars. It goes on like this every day, however, it is understood that the Bank can close your account at any time, without any notice."

Take a moment to think: how would you spend the money? Would you feel rich every morning?

"Life," continues the woman, "offers you a gift of 86 400 seconds every morning. How you spend them is up to you. What you waste can never be recovered. But every morning, you start off the day with a brand new 86 400 seconds to spend on living. However Life can and might close your account at any time, without any notice. Isn't one second of life worth more than a dollar?"

The idea is not mine. It comes straight out of Bernard Lévy's "Et si c'était vrai?" Ideally I would have posted the two pages themselves but I'd be breaking 1001 copyrights laws so I'm writing it in my words.

The concept made me stop and think. (First, of course, of the fun I'd have with 86 000 dollars to spend every day. I can confirm, I'd have a lot of fun!) But then, it made me think about the gift of time. A brand new slate every morning with endless possibilities. I thought of the time I waste, of the time I sleep to escape living, of the time I take for granted.

I thought about people who never get to live, about people who die suddenly, about people who receive notice that their account will be closed soon.

I thought long and hard.