Embrace the joy of living every moment

By: Ashita Kashyap

It was afternoon, and Jamie was heading to an old man’s home located on a nearby hill. He often went there to play, and the man, Mr. Nelson, was familiar to him. Jamie affectionately referred to him as “buddy”. Whenever Jamie visited Mr. Nelson’s house, he noticed something peculiar – there were no clocks or calendars to be found. Jamie would occasionally ask his buddy about the time, since he needed to be home by a certain hour. However, Mr. Nelson would always respond, “Spend your time as long as you want.” This response used to perplex Jamie, leaving him wondering why his buddy said such a thing.

To ensure he didn’t overstay his welcome, Jamie decided to set an alarm for himself. Whenever he heard the vegetable truck passing, he would know it was time to go.

One day, while playing at Mr. Nelson’s house, Jamie finally gathered the courage to ask him about not keeping any clocks or calendars in his home. Initially, Jamie hesitated, fearing it might touch upon an emotional story, and he didn’t want to offend his buddy. But realising there might be another reason, he mustered up the courage to ask.

However, just as Jamie was about to pose the question, he heard the vegetable truck pass by, indicating it was time to leave. Disappointed, he decided to ask the question the following day. When Jamie returned to Mr. Nelson’s home, he seized the opportunity to inquire about the missing timekeeping devices. Mr. Nelson, an 80-year-old man, explained that he wanted to live his life to the fullest. He didn’t want to dwell on the passing years or the uncertainty of when his time would come to an end. By not having clocks or calendars in his house, he embraced the present moment and chose to focus on living a happy life.

Jamie was surprised by this revelation, realising it wasn’t an emotional story as he had initially thought. However, he was also delighted to discover that his buddy had a positive and optimistic outlook towards life. Inspired by Mr. Nelson’s perspective, Jamie, too, decided to adopt a similar mindset and embrace the joy of living each day to its fullest.