I wrote a special piece on Kobe Bryant in the last paper after he passed away in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26. It took everyone by storm; it had people grieving openly in front of Staples Center in Los Angeles, where Kobe spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, I am not here to talk about Kobe Bryant. I am here to talk about the power of time. The distance between a birth and a death of an individual. 

Many people have heard the famous debate of who is the best NBA player of all time. Is Michael Jordan? How about Kobe Bryant? Maybe Lebron James? People spent so much time fighting over this simple question. People used social media platforms, or radio talk shows, or newspapers to air out this question and to spark debates between people. 

Fans would use stats of all the players saying, ‘Lebron is third all-time in points’ or the coveted ring debate, ‘Well, Jordan has six rings’. They would mention the players surrounding them, ‘Kobe had Shaq, that’s how he won most of his rings’. 

There have not been many days that the debate went unheard- that a social media platform did not post about it to see who commented on the topic. 

However, since the passing of Bryant, there has not been a peep about the subject. Actually, there has been an outpour of love for his career and accolades that he garnered. Even ‘haters’ of his game showed support through twitter or radio shows by saying how much he meant to the game. 

I even saw a man tweet about the incident. He stated that the debate should end, that he wasted so much time debating who was better, that he did not even get to appreciate Bryant and the way he played the game of basketball because he would argue about him so much. 

He mentioned that he wanted the debate to end, and just to respect everyone’s time on earth while they still can. So, why can we not do that? Why can we not stop taking people or time or appreciation of something for granted?

Bryant only lived to be 41 years old… His daughter? 13. 

Days are numbered. Breaths are counted. Hairs are checked. So why do we act like they are not? How come we treat people as though they never die such as Peter Pan or some other fictional character?

It’s because we are negligent. I am; I take things for granted. I think that I will only be in college for a certain period of time. That I will write for my college newspaper forever. That my parents will never age and will be there when I get my dream job or have my kids. That being away for a long time will not matter, because I can just see someone or something whenever.

That is not true. It never has been and it never will be. People have a designated time on this Earth until they are called home to be with their Lord. Bryant had 41 years until the Lord needed him. How many do you have? Your parents? Friends? Siblings?

We all serve a purpose, to spread the word and be like him. When our job is done, he calls us home, any time and in any way. When our purpose is fulfilled, we are done with our journey, whether that be at nine weeks or 90 years. 

So what did you say last to your mom? What did you do to your best friend that made you argue and not talk for two weeks? How did you do on the test that you did not study for? What did you do last weekend instead of helping your grandmother garden? 

Did you blow all of these things off? Act as if they do not matter and are just small bumps in the long road that you call life?

They are not. They are huge. Every single thing you do impacts something or someone else for the rest of their lives. These could be the last impressions you make on someone before they exit your journey. 

Money is earned and forgotten. Cities are built and destroyed. Jobs are attained and given away. 

Time… however… only vanishes.

The force of time is the single most powerful entity in the world. No man, or object, or weapon can out do the power of time. All of those hurt or could hurt you, but time is silent and can whisk anyone or anything away at any time.

Without words, or a notion, something can be gone. Such as Kobe Bryant. With no way to go back and say anything, or to time travel and save them. It is fate. It is over. However, we keep acting like it is here to stay. 

As you watch the clock, think. Did I call my parents today and appreciate them for what they do? Did I thank the Chick-Fil-A worker for giving me the wrong food because in other places people don’t even get to eat? Did I talk with my advisor to get the most out of my college experience? Did I thank the Lord because I woke up today?

Instead of watching the clock, watch the roses. Watch the people around you, envelop your time into the places or scenes around you. Spend it all wisely, because you never know when it could be someone’s last moment, or maybe even yours. 

The power of time gives, however it also takes away. How are you spending it? Are you arguing over who is greater or are you investing it into everything around you?