The Perspective of Time in the Face of Hurricane Irma

It’s Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 5:30pm EDT.

While I write this article, Hurricane Irma is rapidly approaching the southern coast of Florida.  It almost doesn’t seem possible Irma is unleashing her wrath just days after Houston began the recovery process from Harvey’s deadly floodwaters.

As with many things in life, it often takes a financial problem, medical condition, natural disaster like Irma, etc. literally beating down your back door for it to become a reality in your mind.

This storm is now a reality.

My home is in Florida, and Hurricane Irma shows no signs of retreating back to where she came from.

In a matter of three hours, Irma will begin making landfall at the southern tip of the US.  In just three hours, some of my closest friends may lose their houses and entire livelihoods.  Within three hours, the state and cities we live in may not be the same.

On a normal day, these 180 minutes seem like nothing.

We routinely piss away three hours watching Netflix bingers and eating Cheerios.  But when life gets real, three hours feel like an eternity.

As some of us consider the future of our communities and others spend time with family/friends and begin new weeks, I encourage you to think about two things:

1. What do three hours mean to you?
   
2. Is there a better way to invest three of your hours?
   

I made a quick list of things you can do with three hours below.  Feel free to add to it or make your own list.

Things You Can Do in Three Hours:

• Watch 3 episodes of Game of Thrones
  
• Fly from Florida to New York City
  
• Have dinner and drinks with the person who may become your husband/wife
  
• Lose all of your personal belongings in a flood
  
• Go to the park and teach your child how to ride a bike
  
• Comb through your email inbox and accomplish no worthwhile work whatsoever
  
• Read The Great Gatsby
  
• Run a marathon (if you’re super fast)
  
• Complete a job interview that redefines your career
• Drive from Washington DC to Philadelphia
  

In three hours, your life can take a dramatic turn for the better or for the worse.  You may also choose to spend those three hours doing absolutely nothing.

If the latter is the case, just remember your three hours are likely the defining period of someone else’s life around the world.

Three Hours to Help Those in Need:

Whether you feel compelled to support victims from recent natural disasters or even your local food pantry, the choice is yours.  My only ask is that you use this article to consider how three hours of your time or three hours of your pay can be put to better use.

Here are a few vetted resources related to Harvey and Irma aid work:

Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund:  https://ghcf.org/hurricane-relief/

UNICEF Hurricane Irma:  https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/unicef-responding-catastrophic-hurricane-irma/32788

CDP Recovery Fund:  http://disasterphilanthropy.org/cdp-fund/cdp-hurricane-irma-recovery-fund/

When you put your mind to it, it’s astounding how far three of your hours can go.

Godspeed my friends.

See you next Sunday at 8:30pm.