February 12, 2023 TIME IS ON MY SIDE

 

If you could find out how long you had to live, would you want to know? That's a scary question right? On the one hand, it would be nice to know because then you could arrange your life in such a way that reflected the time you had left on Earth. It could also be a real downer, especially, if you found out you only had one year left. Not sure if I would want to know how many years I have left--it would probably freak me out. Blissful ignorance is more my speed.  How about you? I recently finished a novel that examined this idea called The Measure by Nikki Erlick. As this thought provoking novel unfolds, every person in the world wakes up one morning and receives a small wooden box. Some choose to open the box, while others do not. Inside the box is a string and a message that reads "The measure of your life lies within".  The people do not know where the boxes came from or what they mean at first. Over time, they come to realize that the length of the string equates to the length of their lives and the whole world must adapt to this new "order".  Should people with shorter strings have to register with the government? Should the long stringers get better jobs? Should the government force people to open their boxes? The novel explores eight people who try to deal with this "new" world and the consequences of either opening or keeping the box closed.  This is dystopia at its finest. The Measure is a fascinating but also disturbing story of about 350 pages  about family and friendships and how lives are forever changed by a small box. Enjoy and be thankful we don't have to make that choice.