I am a huge James Bond fan. When I say huge, I mean gargantuan. I’m the guy who saw the latest Bond Film, Skyfall, four consecutive days, beginning with opening night of the U.S. premiere. I’m the guy who doesn’t wait for the cable networks to run a Bond marathon, I run my own 007 marathons. I’m also the guy who purchased all the movies when they were first released on videotape. Not long ago, my family purchased all the movies for me when they were released on Blu-Ray which I know doubt am convinced that they occasionally regret.
Admittedly, my fanaticism for 007 goes well beyond movie ownership. I’m fairly certain that I secretly want to be the first African-American to play James Bond. I’m the guy who has watched the movies so many times that I quote the lines before the actors themselves which for some strange reason generally infuriates anyone watching with me. I suppose this is yet another reason why my marathons are usually viewed by me and me alone. I once tried to drink martini’s shaken and not stirred just to emulate 007. The operative word in the last sentence was “tried” because I just can’t acquire a taste for James’ drink of choice. Even now, I begin each working day dreaming of the day when I will retire (soon) so that I can travel to all the exotic locations that James has visited during each of the 23 Bond films. Oh and of course, I plan to drive an Aston Martin DB, wear an Omega Seamaster and hold a Walter PPK.
We Have All the Tine in the World
So it should come as no surprise that the other evening, as I was flipping through channels and realized that there was nothing interesting on TV, I thought now was as good a time as any to have a mini James Bond marathon. I began the night watching one of my favorite Bond movies, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
For other Bond Fanatics (I mean enthusiasts), I know this movie features an unusual James Bond. George Lazenby plays an emotional and eventually married James Bond. Many of the 007 Nation hate this depiction of Bond, James Bond but this post is not meant to argue the authenticity of Mr. Lazenby’s portrayal of 007. Rather, this post is about the final scene of the movie and the movie’s theme song, We Have All the Time in the World, performed by the great Louis Armstrong.
In the final scene, it turns out that James and his new bride, Tracy – contrary to the movie’s theme song – did not have all the time in the world. All James and Tracy would have would be a short courtship, a wedding and a reception. Before James and Tracy could drive off into the sunset and enjoy their honeymoon and life together, Tracy was gunned down during a drive by shooting. While I have seen this movie and this scene far too many times to mention, I found myself a bit more choked up than normal. I think that I was bit more emotionally overwhelmed this time because I contemplated what would fathers, parents do differently if we knew in advance as the actress who played James’ wife, Tracy (Dianna Rigg) that our role as fathers, as parents would not be extended for another scene. Even if you are not a father or parent, I wonder what you would do differently if you learned when you awoke this morning that you would not be a part of the next scene of the movie you were starring in; the movie called your life.
Tomorrow Is Not Promised
I am convinced that in a nation that prides itself on and extols for any and all who will listen its “faith”, we do not completely grasp or to be blunt – have a clue about how to live out the meaning of our supposed “faith”. For example most of us have heard and even recited the quote “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Instead of correctly applying this quote to our lives, living in the moment, living for the present day, living this day to its fullest potential, most of us live our lives as the theme song of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. We live and even love as if we have “all the time in the world” – spending so much time worrying about what might happen tomorrow that we completely miss out on what is happening today.
The Numbers 2; 107; 6,420; 154,080; and 56,000,000
According to The World Factbook, approximately 2 people die every second. This means that 107 citizens of the world die each and every minute of each and every hour. Take pause to think about that number for a second. One hundred and seven is the size of a marching band. Six-thousand, four hundred and twenty people die each hour. That means in the time that it took me to write this post 6,420 people are no longer with us. Six-thousand, four-hundred and twenty is a number larger than the students who attend many colleges and universities. One hundred, fifty-four thousand and eighty is the number of people who die each and every day and is a number which is greater than the population of many U.S. cities. To put 154,080 people in perspective envision the number of people watching an NFL game at three different stadiums disappearing from the face of the earth all at one time. Fifty-six million is the number of people who die each year. Yes, 56,000,000 people who represent approximately twenty percent of the entire U.S. population die each year.
To put these staggering numbers in perspective, picture one hundred and seven parents who found something more important to do than live a life that included loving their children with urgency, passion, intent and purpose. Imagine six-thousand, four-hundred and twenty parents who consistently promised to leave work on time so that they could spend time with their children and family but time and again found themselves working and leaving the office late. Imagine one hundred, fifty-four thousand and eighty parents who rarely if ever sat down to share a home cooked meal with their children and who routinely left their children alone to find something to eat like fast food and prepackaged goods. Imagine fifty-six million parents who are so busy being busy that they miss parent teacher conferences, their children’s extracurricular activities and so many other things which are important to their children.
Live and Love Now
Unfortunately for so many children and parents the aforementioned scenarios are neither imaginary or make-believe. Far too many of us, live our lives consumed with concerns for tomorrow and driven by the belief that as Louis Armstrong sung – “we have all the time in the world”. As the final scene of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service plays out, a police officer drives over to James and Tracy’s car to see if he can be of assistance but sadly Tracy who has been shot cannot be helped as she is already dead. James lovingly embraces Tracy and somberly utters the regrettable untruth “we have all the time in the world.”
Fathers and mothers alike, I implore you to learn from Bond…James Bond. You don’t have all the time in the world. Forget putting things off until tomorrow! There is a good chance that you only have the present to show your children and loved ones how much you love them and how just important they are to you. You don’t want to live with the regret that James experiences in the final scene as he learns that we do not have all the time in the world.