6 Commentary
SOUTHWORDS • DECEMBER 7, 2001
Staff Opinion
Milestone countdowns take ovewi by Deanna Oleske You have two minutes to finish this article. Ever since the countdown to Armageddon, computer blips, and the new millennium, Americans have become obsessed with countdowns. Countdownclocks.com advertises a "new way to look at time." Retirement clocks, wedding clocks, vacation clocks, birthday clocks, and even custom corporate countdown clocks. You too can feel the "anticipation and excitement" of watching the days melt away. For the business world, these clocks give motivation to the workers as you countdown to the new project. With resetable options, the countdown fun will never stop - all at an affordable $24.95, these have become the new craze. These clocks come with a lithium battery of five years, so in some cases you may be counting down to your new battery change. You have 1 minute 34 seconds to finish this article. We all countdown secretly in our
Chandler's days to winter break (14), days to Christmas (18), days to the end of the year (180), but it is more discrete. Now you can have a fabulous clock to do it for you! Soon, our countdown-stricken lives will lead to countdown ofdeath clocks. I am sure that they would sell like crazy if we only had the technology to predict our death date. What kind of impact would it have on you if you knew you had exactly 56 years, 187 days, 43 minutes, and 32 seconds, to live? What would we do differently? I am sure TV ratings would go down as we took note to that time ticking clock and decided that more important things should come to attention than the latest Friends episode. You have 51 seconds to finish this article. Would we carefully think over every decision we would ever make? Doughnut or bagel, the calories no longer matter - your death date is set. Or would Ufe just be the same? Whatever happened to Uving in the moment? Appreciating the day for what it is? CarpeDiem!
You have 33 seconds left to finish this article. Seize the day! By watching time tick down to that date, we no longer seize the day, but think of the day that is coming. The present becomes irrelevant as the future takes over. One minute and 12 seconds ago you began a journey in a few more seconds. Hope you enjoyed the ride.
Property of the Editors {continued from page 4) who are just as affected. Other people who grow depressed in the wintertime, other people who get frozen into the night. As the season of giving and getting rolls around, I am trying to keep in mind that the sun also rises, that sunset does not last all evening - not only for myself but also for those around me. Watch for friends who let the cold freeze their j inner light and drown in darkness. Because we are all affected by Chicago winters and Chicago sunshine, and we all notice when the sun seems to be asleep most of the day, we all need to be aware of those around us who lose inner light to the shadows of the sunset.
Editors'Pic of the Week
photo credited to Phillips 66