What can’t you own but use every day? What can’t you keep but spend frequently? What can you lose and never get back? The answer?
Time …
This is the last day of 2024. Another year around the sun. How many have you done thus far? Did 2024 pass quickly for you? It did for me, and once again, it made all those clichés so true—time flies, beat the clock, in the nick of time, lost time is never found.
In the Stone Age, humans lived to be around 20-25. Most children did not survive those first 4 years of life. The hunter-gatherer peoples of early American tribes seldom lived past 50, most dying before age 35. The average life expectancy in the 1800s was 40. However, according to bioarcheologists and forensic anthropologists, the average global human lifespan was only 32 years in 1900. It makes one question what happened. There is speculation that life expectancy will increase significantly by 2100, with some estimates suggesting that many people will live to be 120 or 130 due to the advancement of technology, medicine, and biology. Just think what you could do with all that time! Enroll in a doctorate program. Fly to the moon. Write a book series. Train for a marathon.
Even though 2024 seemed to fly by, a lot happened. Claudia Sheinbaum became the first female elected president of Mexico. India won the Men’s T20 World Cup. Paris hosted the Olympic Games. 5.3 million hectares (13.1 million acres) burned across Canada. Ten hurricanes hit the USA, with Helene causing widespread destruction across several states. A solar eclipse swept across North America. Wars dominated headlines. A 380 square kilometer of ice broke off the Burnt Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
Closer to home, I spent almost two months in Australia. Witnessed my son receive his Australian citizenship from the Prime Minister. Fractured my ankle. Completed 15 mountain hikes, some quite difficult, evidenced by a lingering pain in my right hip. Published Silver Tip –a small book of poems. Spent more time with my daughter.
It’s New Year’s Eve—the last day of 2024. I didn’t get to everything I had hoped to do in 2024 and didn’t meet some aspirations I thought would’ve been so easy to accomplish. However, I’m heartened that despite the year almost ending, I can say hello to 2025 and another year around the sun. May it be a good year filled with happiness, peace, and prosperity for us all.
Enjoy the Passage of Time.
Sharon
© 2024. Sharon Kreider. All Rights Reserved.
