"If YoU BuilD It, He WiLL ComE" (1/20/11)

I just watched the movie, "Field of Dreams" for the first time. Though I did not fully understand the whole movie, I felt something as I watched it. To me, it emphasized the importance of seizing the day. It taught lessons about the precious, fleeting nature of life. We humans don't know how long our lives will be. We often don't even know what lies in store for us on a day-to-day basis. Yet, we do know (or I hope we know) that life is too short to be wasted; it is too special to spend holding grudges or doing/saying things that will hurt another. For it is when we do or say hurtful things that we never really know if we will be able to take them back, apologize, or make up for them. The time is now and the clock is ticking.

I am often reminded of the poem by John Donne entitled, "For Whom the Bell Tolls." There are a few lines in it, which stick out to me and relate to the notions I've been discussing about life. They say: "Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee." My own interpretation of this poem and these lines in particular, is that it speaks of mortality and the inescapable nature of death. No man- no matter how wealthy or poor; no matter if he is famous or common by the world's standards can escape the bonds of death. Like a ticking clock that reminds us of how short our time on this earth is, so too, rings the "bell" of life's fleeting nature. It rings for all mankind. It is my hope that when the time comes to hear this "bell's" sound, that it will result in an occasion filled with happiness and contentment instead of sadness, remorse, and regret. Carpe diem sums up what I am trying to convey. It means 'seize the day." To myself and to anyone who reads this, I say "Seize the day," live life to the fullest, and ensure that you always strive to attain your dreams. Anything is possible. The time is now and another quote, which sums up how valuable this present time is states, "The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present."


Here's the quote that struck me the most from the movie and which also inspired me to write this blog post about how precious life is: "You know, we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, Well, there'll be other days. I didn't realize that that was the only day."
-Dr. Graham