A matter of time

They say timing is everything. A split second could alter the course of your existence forever. Don't believe me?

Ask the sprinter whose Olympic dreams crumble because he is a split second too slow. Ask Jim's nephew Colin whose race car is edged out by a split second at the finish line. Ask a baseball player who swings a split second too late (or too early) and strikes out with the winning run on third base.

Ask the drivers in Minnesota who just crossed or were just about to cross the 35W bridge on Wednesday evening. A split second on either side of the bridge saved their lives. Unfortunately, many weren't so lucky.

The lucky ones are people like my brother and my nephew, who normally cross that bridge daily, but opted on a different route home that night. Maybe it was a split-second decision, but it made a huge difference.

The bridge collapse has been called a catastrophe of historic proportions. Much like 9/11, I see it bringing a community -- the city, the state, anyone watching on TV -- closer together.

It reminds us how fragile life is and how quickly it can change. It reminds us to take time (all the time in the world) to tell our loved ones how much we value and care for them.

Every second counts.