of course we take it for granted and learn to ignore it. the average heart beats 72 times a minute. so 4,329 times per hour, 103,680 times per day, and 37,843,200 times per year.
by exactly a year ago, i had been breathing for approximately 14,538,240 minutes so my heart had beat about 1,046,753,280 times, give or take the moments of my life that had my heart beating out of my chest or the times of deep meditation during which i'd managed to slow my heart.
i could probably revisit all the momentous occasions in my life based on my heartbeat. almost all of those, racing. the time i beat my personal mile time. the time i fell in love. every time i've had an incredible laugh. the times i've jumped out of planes, jumped dunes on ATVs, bungee jumped, caught a great wave, flipped out of a raft, and on.
but for the first time in my life, i had an immensely unusual sensation. i was stricken with typhoid and had severe bouts of diarrhea that started 15 hours before. somewhere in those 15 hours, my life had hung by threads and i wouldn't have known or cared had i died. by evening, i was sitting at dinner and slowly both my arms went completely numb. i dozed off at the table a few times. suddenly i had a strange sensation in my chest. my heart was failing.
i had a strange premonition about the trip and i took out a million and a half in insurance. somehow i made it back. alive. and the past year has been quite a ride and i've crossed off most of what remains on my bucket list.
and tomorrow is 24 more hours i should be grateful for to enjoy to my heart's content.
