Counting By Marbles

This is quite a long story, but if you have the patient to read it, I guess you will gain something today. =)
I was cleaning my room when my cupboard was attacked by the termites, I found this really old newspaper clipping, the date was 2nd November 2003, a 7 years old story which I kept it long enough, to again remind me how much I shall treasure things in life and not let regrets take over when you have little time left on earth, so I thought I would want to share with you, who are reading my blog now.

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first one to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of Saturday morning are most enjoyable. A few weeks ago, I was shuffling towards the kitchen with a teaming cup of coffee in hand and the morning paper in the other hand. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time.


I turned the volume up on my radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning talk show. I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice. You know the kind like he should be in the broadcasting industry.


He was talking about 'a thousand marbles' to someone named 'Tom'. I was intrigued and sat down to listen to what he had to say.


"Well Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe young fellow should have to wok 60 or 70 hours a week to make ends meet, Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital.
He continued, " Let me tell you something, Tom : Something that has helped me keep a good respective on my own priorities."


And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'Thousand marbles."


"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person person lives about 75 years. I know, some live more and some less, but on average, folks live about 75 years old.
Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3,900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire life.
It took me until I was 55 years old to think about all this in any detail and by the time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays, I got to thinking that if I lived to be 75, I only had a thousand of them left to enjoy.
So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had, having ended up visiting 3 toy stores to round up 1,000 marbles, I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here next to the radio. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away.
I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on earth run out to help you get your priorities straight. 
Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign off with you and take my family out for a breakfast. This morning I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."


You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. Even the show's moderator didn't have anything to say for a few moments. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about.
I had planned to do some work that morning and go to the gym. Instead I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss and ask her out for a breakfast. "What brought this on?" She asked with a smile.
"Oh nothing honey, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey can we stop by a toy store later? I need to buy some marbles..."


I was only 18 years old when I read this article, and I knew I have to keep it by pinning this on my little DIY board in my old house. I still remembered after reading this, I actually went to both my parents and read it out loud to them when they were having breakfast, I never felt how inspiring my Saturday morning was, and now I still feels the same after reading it every time, something to keep us thinking how limited time we have on earth, and how much we can really do when we are still young, and never too late to realize the priorities in life you have once set.

I hope you felt the same way like I do after reading this entry, if you think you want to share it with your friends, spread the love.
Till then, cheers and have a great Sunday morning. ^^