How Many Countdowns?

Counting down -- how many times?

Written for: "Note: 48-HOUR CHALLENGE : Media Prompt Deadl..."

How many countdowns
In one lifetime?
How many?

Six days till I start school.
Five days till I graduate.
Four days till I join my job.
Three days till I quit.
Two days till I get married.
Tomorrow, I'll be a parent!

A year. A month.
A week.
Until ...
A day. An hour.
A minute
Until ...

If you knew how many countdowns
Would you countdown
The countdowns?
"You are going to have 234,345,346,299,001 countdowns ..
"Starting .. NOW. GO!!"
"Wait, wait!
"Does this countdown count as a countdown?"
"Why do you think we added the ONE
"at the end there? Now, GO!"

Countdown, countdown

Wait.

What if you decide
That you won't countdown any more.

That you'll just live each moment
Each hour, day, week ...
for itself.
What if you've already counted
that final countdown

and now, you are free.