The difference that matters

“What’s the time?” I asked. 4pm he replied. It seemed unlikely to be 4:00 exactly so I asked again. “3:52” he finally said. I asked why he took 8 minutes away from me and he laughed saying it doesn’t matter. I asked him if he were in an exams and was given the choice between submitting and having 8 more minutes to conclude his work which he would choose. He finally understood.

Every minute in life is important. In medicine, it makes the difference between life and death at times. In school, it makes the difference between getting or missing a lecture. During an exam, it makes the difference between success and failure. Better still, ask fire fighters or people that detonate bombs how many lives and properties have been saved due to last minute decisions.

So what’s the time?