In de St. Exupery’s precious book, “The Little Prince”, the Little Prince travels the universe, and meets many people with different points of view.  One is a man selling a capsule that quenches thirst.  The capsule diminishes the time spent drinking and provides a savings on average of 53 minutes per week.  Asks the Little Prince, “And what do I do with those fifty-three minutes?” Says the salesman: “Anything you like . . .”  The Little Prince thinks to himself, “As for me, if I had fifty-three minutes to spend as I liked, I should walk at my leisure toward a spring of fresh water.”(fn)

This morning, my friend Penny Thieme called to see how I am feeling after yesterday’s visit to a new cardiologist to get a second opinion.  I shared that we (my husband and I) learned a lot from the man, and liked his manner.  I talked about the procedure that I would have, its risks, its implications, the options. I listened to her account of finding a potential roommate and the jobs she strives to finish.  When the call ended, I wore a smile.  Not once had either of us voiced a complaint about anything, though we both know that each of our lives hold challenges.  The call lasted 29 minutes and 40 seconds.

I’ve still got 23 minutes and 20 seconds to spare.  I plan to fill them re-reading some of The Little Prince.

(Fn)  If you want to read The Little Prince and don’t have a copy, here it is online:

http://www.angelfire.com/hi/littleprince/