WASTE NOT THY PRECIOUS TIME

Not so long ago Kathleen and I entered that phase of our lives where programs such as Jeopardy have become part of our evening’s television viewing. My mind is definitely not as quick as it once was and I would never be able to physically out buzz those quick, bright young contestants. Even so, I am amazed at the amount of information that seems to be stored in our gray matter just waiting for the proper stimulus to bring it into our consciousness again.

This is just one simple example of the continual amazement I have with the human ability to bring forth the seemingly endless amount of diversification of ideas they have stored in their minds.

A few nights ago, when I was not really thinking of anything, it seemed like out of nowhere a story from my youth about a wrinkled old man came rushing back to my consciousness. In my mind’s eye I envisioned the wonderful illustrated book which showed this funny bewhiskered old man who happened upon a rather unusual bowling game, and while enjoying the company of some equally unusual little people, he imbibed a strange brew. (I suspect imbibed is an embellishment of the development of my vocabulary and not part of the original story).

As my mind rushed forward I was reminded of the similarities between this story and its later counterpart of a young man who slept in space for five centuries before awakening to his strange new world. The only difference in the two stories seems to be that upon awakening, Rip Van Winkle found himself in a frightening, cruel world where he could find little or no acceptance, while Buck Rogers awakens into a beautiful modern world where he becomes a universal hero. (For those generations which came into mortality after the 1950’s and 1960’s, you might have to ask parents or grandparents to find out who Buck Rogers was – if they don't know, just think of him as a prequel to Star Trek and Star Wars).

Now my mind really went a wandering. What is it that causes us, in a world where we are continually aging, where there seems to be so little time to accomplish all that we desire, a world where we fight with all means available to cling to life, we seem to fritter away countless hours? It seems that one of life’s great dichotomies is, in this world where time is a premium, a great deal of our allotted time is exhausted in trying to find ways to escape from our realities and somehow waken into some bright and new tomorrow.

It almost becomes mind boggling how sophisticated we have become in our ability to subdue our realities through chemicals and electronics. We have simultaneously acquired an insatiable fetish to make our bedrooms and beds more grand (with adjoining sitting or exercise rooms – and we label them suites so that others will know of our wonderful uncommonness), which seem to be symbolic of our desire to no longer live in the present. When our minds aren't being numbed artificially we escape to our slumber palaces hoping to be transmitted to some dream world where our problems will dissolve and from which we will awaken and come forth renewed, reinvigorate and rejuvenated into a bright new tomorrow.

We think upon how our society has become fixated and exhaustively works to open up free time; time which often is then lost through our escaping from reality either through artificial numbing or walling ourselves up in our massive space capsules.

Our mind races to the question, ‘Why?’ ‘Why when life is so short and precious, do we spend so many hours trying to imitate Rip and Buck?’

The thought springs to mind, that surely by now, after all our experimentation, we must realize that upon awakening from self-induced or natural slumber there will be no new life welcoming us into thrilling new frontiers. The life we left before our nap will be there to greet us.

Now see what the Neurons bring to thought: “Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known.” (Doctrine and Covenants 60:13)

And from the preacher: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest…For man also knoweth not his time; as the fishes that are taken in an evil net…so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them.”(Ecclesiastes 9:10, 12)

And one last prescription for success in life: “Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread” (Proverbs 20:13)

One more thought in closing – maybe ere we sleep again it might be well to remind ourselves, life is for living and those who are most often awake and productive will be blessed with greater joy.

THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY
TRANSLATED BY – WALTER I. CRUZ