Minutes to Memories

Last night I was pondering what to write. I thought of telling you that a friend of mine who works as a radio morning show host shared my last YouTube video on the radio’s Facebook page and my views shot from 15 to 487 in just a few days. I thought of telling you about my first day substituting (that’s today). It’s great to be back in school and seeing all the familiar faces and some new ones. I asked Crash last night what I should write about today. Naturally, he said something about Minecraft. I’ve been playing a bit with him and he loves when I play too. So much so that he did three chores yesterdays to earn some extra time. But I have no desire to write about Minecraft. We did just finish the fourth book of Harry Potter and we’re all set to watch the movie this weekend.

But then I came into the class I’m subbing for, an English class. Ironic, eh? Then today’s blog was handed to me. Their assignment was to dissect the song “Minutes to Memories” by John Cougar Mellencamp. Have a listen. You’ll thank me.

Imagine getting on bus and taking a seat next to an old man who appears to be sleeping against the window. When the bus begins its journey the old man wakes and begins tell you his life story. His story is a happy one, though full of tidbits that you almost grasp. Friends and family are most important. Money means nothing. A clear conscious will help you sleep at night. Many years later, to late to change the past, you realize the old man you sat next to was your future self trying to tell your younger self the path to happiness. You didn’t understand at the time, so you took the difficult road and now the minutes you spent toiling away are now just memories.

Days turn to minutes and minutes turn to memories. The title of the song itself whispers of time passing us by. All we have is right here, right now. The future hasn’t happened yet. For all we know, the future won’t happen. The past is gone, already happened, just a memory.

Life sweeps away the dreams
That we have planned

That’s the way of life. How many times have we wanted to do something and never followed through because “life got in the way”. We grow up, get jobs, get married, have kids, pay the bills. Life happens. We can’t change the fact that time is going to pass. We can’t change the fact that one day all we’ll have are memories of the way things used to be. However, we can change how we spend our minutes. We can create memories worth remembering.

Life isn’t about how many minutes you get. Life is about how you use those minutes. Spend your minutes wisely. You’ll never get them back.

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