How to Measure a Year

By: Alex 

Graphic by Alex

At the end of 2012, we have reached a time to reflect. For me, it’s another year gone too quickly. Time passes the same way it does on any random day of the year, but having the date of the new year gives us a milestone—something to measure our time with. But even though we can measure our time, the question then becomes how do we measure our time. Just how do we measure a year?

Yes, I am fondly referring to one of my favorite musicals, RENT. In a story of passing time and living life, we get an intimate look into a year in the life of a friendship of seven struggling New York artists. At the end of the year, the characters ask, just how can they measure that time? With all they’ve gone through together, sometimes it can be unfulfilling to find another year has passed by without realizing a dream. But at the same time, they have such a warm feeling to know that they did so much that year to touch those around them-- so many memories to have just for being alive that year.

As we approach 2013, we are faced with the same decision. How do we measure all of the time that just passed before our eyes? As characters in RENT discovered, there is no real correct answer. There is no mathematical way to quantify all we’ve discovered in the span of a year. Not even time can measure what we’ve gone through; it is our experiences that make us who we are, and it is our experiences that help us see what we’ve accomplished. It is all the trials and joys of the characters in the film that allow them to realize all that’s happened in a year, not a measurement of time.

When faced to reflect on a year, I think about all the goals I haven’t achieved yet or all the dreams I seem so far from. But, what I’ve learned is, though I may not be where I feel I should be, I have a lot to be proud of. Whether I was helping a friend through a breakup, giving a hallmate advice on growing up, or even listening to a stranger’s conversation on a bus, I’ve acquired so many stories just by living my life this year. That’s what I think is most important; appreciating the people who help shape our memories of the year. After all, without people, I would have no memories, and without memories, I would have no stories to tell, and story telling is one of my greatest reasons to be alive.

In RENT, the characters come together at the end of a year and realize how much they’ve changed in that time through what they’ve done. I like that. I like to think of myself in association with other people. I think of just how different my experiences would be if even one person was missing from my adventures that year. My experiences are more powerful than any number. Though I have no final tally or measurement on 2012, looking back on stories and memories and the people that made my 19^th year on earth a special one, I have a great past and a lot of things to look forward to. I don’t need a number to tell me 2012 was worth it. That’s how I measure a year.