Re: “(Don’t) seize the day”

In response to (Don’t) seize the day, published October, 14, 2009.

This letter is in response to a comments piece published on page 10 of the Oct. 15 issue of The Uniter.

Living every day as if it’s your last doesn’t necessarily mean you should try and cram as much “stuff” as possible into each day, just because there’s a slight chance you’ll wind up dead at the end of it.

As I see it, the Latin phrase “Carpe Diem” is an inspirational, old adage calling us to make every day worth living, which also carries with it connotations of not doing anything we may eventually regret. There are consequences for our actions.

I was rather surprised to read how literally Mr. Rygiel takes these sayings. No, we’re not expected to waste all of our money running up an extensive bar tab so that all our friends can get juiced, and think we’re the greatest. It’s physically impossible to do everything you want to do in a single day; that’s what the rest of your life is for! Just do the best you can with the 24 hours that have been allotted to you – well, more like 16 (sleep is pretty important, too) – and don’t worry about tomorrow.
Focus on today, because tomorrow has enough problems of its own.

– Phil Enns

Published in Volume 64, Number 9 of The Uniter (October 29, 2009)