Page 89 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2024 - Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS

OUR GIVEN NUMBER

OF MINUTES

ne thousand, (the average person now lives 78 years in
four hundred America). He multiplied the 75 times 52 weeks to
Oforty: the determine the number of Saturdays the average
number of minutes person experiences in a lifetime (3,900). He then
we are gifted each purchased one thousand marbles, which was the Inspiration
day. It matters not our number of Saturdays he had left if he lived to see
age, ethnicity, gender, his 75th birthday, and he placed the marbles into
social standing, title or a large jar. Each Saturday, he tossed away one
net worth. We all have marble to remind him of the time he had left.
the same 1,440 minutes
each day. Once it has I thought this was an interesting idea. Rather than
Samuel J. Ayers, clicked away, it is take marbles away and watch a jar empty, I began
placing single gold dollar U.S. Presidents coins
gone. Time is our most
Ed. D. valuable resource. into a jar each Saturday. This visually reminds me
that God has blessed me with another week of life.
My earliest memory of thinking about time This also serves as a reminder to use my gifted
occurred in 7th grade. I was watching a popular time wisely.
gameshow, called Tattletales, with celebrity
couples. The host, Burt Convey, asked the We each have 1,440 minutes each day.
contestants a question about their spouses, who How will you spend your minutes going
were waiting in a soundproof booth. They then forward?
brought out the spouses and asked them the same
questions. The couples received points if their What will you learn?
responses matched. I only remember one question: Where will you serve?
Would your husband prefer to sleep 8-10 hours to What will you accomplish?
recharge or remain awake 24 hours and never be Who will you help?
tired? Bill Shatner, who portrayed Captain Kirk With whom will you spend your allotted time?
on the original Star Trek series, and his wife Marcy
were my favorite couple on the gameshow. Marcy Be careful, then, how you live, not as unwise people,
responded that Bill would prefer to remain awake but as wise, making the most of the time, because the
24 hours because there were so many things days are evil. –Ephesians 5:15-16 NRSV.
he wished to accomplish, and sleep limited his
available time. When the husbands were brought
out, Bill’s response matched. After the show, I
continued to ponder my own response to the
question, and I decided I too would like to never
need sleep, which would allow me to experience
and do more. By my junior year of high school, I
purposed to be mindful of time and how and who
I spent it with going forward.

Several years ago, I read a book by John
Maxwell. In the book, he recounted the story
“1,000 Marbles” by Jeffrey Davis. According 806.441.7850
to Mr. Davis, the average person lives 75 years jcorbin@westmarkrealtors.com

For years, Dr. Sam Ayers has been an inspiration to
me - a remarkable leader and teacher.

Lubbock Senior Link 89