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Don’t Lose Your Time Being Scared of Wasting It

By Rosemarie Ladouceur, Grade 12
Time is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events that occur from the past, through the present, to the future.

Over the years, there have been many quotes made about time, quotes from different people who want to make us realize how time is precious, how we should not waste it, how we should manage it. “Lost time is never found again,” said Benjamin Franklin.
 
In North America, we are always so stressed, anxious and scared to “lose our time.” We want to finish school as soon as possible. To find a job as soon as possible. To make money as soon as possible. For what? To be happy as soon as possible?

As I was thinking about my speech, I saw time flying by. So fast. Here we are living according to a schedule, a schedule that is full to make sure we are the most productive we can be. We are prisoners of time. Deadlines are the bars of our cells. Stress is the food we are given. But you never realize you are a prisoner until you experience freedom, until you have a different perspective of time.

In Grade 10, I had the chance to be free of time, deadlines and stress. I went to Peru, where I spent two weeks living with an underprivileged family while helping in an orphanage. Living with a different family in a different country, I learned many things. One major thing is that Peruvians are not stressed. At all. My first day of work at the orphanage, I had to be there at 7:30 am. At 9 o’clock, I was still waiting for my Peruvian brother to bring my Quebec twin and me to the orphanage. No one in the house seemed worried or stressed or anything. Communication was tough between us because they only spoke Spanish. So, I simply had to let go. At 9:15, I was finally on my way to the orphanage. On a motorbike. Without a helmet. Sitting on the luggage rack. Like I said, no stress in the Peruvian life. Or, maybe they just didn’t really care about me.

But that’s where I was wrong. Peruvians are the most caring and loving people I’ve met. They get attached easily. My Peruvian mother was calling me “mi hija” (my daughter) from the very first day. My Peruvian family might be slow and not very productive… but they are the happiest family I’ve met to this day. Because they do not care about time. They only care about people.

I think we need to live more like the Peruvians that I met two years ago. We do not know when our time is going to end. Instead of rushing to get to I don’t know where as fast as possible for I don’t know what reason, we should enjoy the ride a little more. When people are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” the answer often is, “I want to be happy.” However, being happy should not only be a goal for when you grow up, but it’s something you should be throughout your life. Benjamin Franklin said “Lost time is never found again,” and I would like to add to that by saying don’t lose your time being scared of wasting it.
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