Act now!

The other day I was having one of those tedious but mandatory interactions with a government agency. The pleasant yet listless functionary behind the counter made a point of telling me exactly how many Mondays he had left (49). At first I didn't understand, and then realized he was talking about his impending retirement.

Why do we count down? And isn't counting down, much less sharing your countdown with complete strangers, a sign that something's wrong? That's something's being mis-spent? There are obligations, and then there are sentences -- many self-imposed.

"Only four more days." (Why did I stick around this long?)

"Just three more sessions." (Can't believe I got talked into this.)

"Two days left to save!" (Boy, did we over-buy on this junk.)

"Forty-nine more Mondays." (I can't believe I wasted my best years behind this counter.)

What are you counting down right now? What would happen if you just jumped to zero? Might something improve? Think about it.

Incidentally, only one hour and 40 minutes until we tip off at St. John's. Are you playing tonight? Please let me know --

Attendance last week: 10