nineteen minutes

"in nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. in nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five. nineteen minutes is how long it took the tennessee titans to sell out of tickets to the play-offs. its the length of a sitcom, minus the commercials. its the driving distance from the vermont border to the town of sterling, new hampshire. in nineteen minutes, you can order a pizza and get it delivered. you can read a story to a child or have your oil changed. you can walk a mile. you can sew a hem.

in nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. in nineteen minutes, you can get revenge."

[nineteen minutes by jodi picoult]

i tested the theory of nineteen minutes. i sat, completely alone, on the back porch of my beach house, on a weeknight, where the street was practically deserted. no cell phone, no computer, no book. just me and my thoughts. nineteen minutes is longer than you think. i thought of what to add to this list, what could be done in nineteen minutes. and once you read the novel, you will agree, that life can change in nineteen minutes. if you are a teacher or caregiver or mother (or planning to be one someday) and havent read this book, do yourself a favor.