The 1950s, the golden era of Hollywood; a period when legends emerged that still remain the world's favorites. Such as: Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, and last but not least, the woman who coined the phrase above, Dinah Washington.
The first line of the song hits me deeply, "What a difference a day makes. twenty-four little hours." Then I just let my mind wonder. What can really happen in just one day? Can the events of one day change the world forever?
If you think about it, there are many sudden decisions made by one ruler in the world that have changed our lives forever just in the nick of time. Our president when he jacked up the price of gasoline, for example, made a major difference to how we live our day-to-day lives. Moreover, events from several decades back; like the two World Wars, the demolition of the Berlin Wall, or less *political' events, like Beatlemania or the release of the international hit novel, Harry Potter, were all important signposts indicating how the world can change forever.
Also the other day as I was watching the "Oprah Winfrey Show" I came across these two very inspirational young kids. One was named Milagros, which in Spanish translates to *miracle'. She was a young female who developed the Mermaid Syndrome since day one. Surgery made it right eventually. And the other one was Elliot, from Arkansas who got to live for 99 days only. (You can find out about his story on Youtube)
They may not be young Einsteins or have done anything extraordinarily different. However, their stories inspired me to realize that all this time, I've come to see my glass as being half-empty. That I haven't lived my life to the fullest nor have I embraced every splendor the world has given me. By mirroring my life to Elliot's, his tiny 99-day life-time had me realizing that I haven't done anything to improve living conditions for others or inspired the world for the better.
Life is indeed short and temporary. Though it's also true that we can't give unless we have received, but if we are able to make *our glass half-full', we may know that the meaning of life exists everywhere around us. The smile and laughter of a baby or the loving look of your pet puppy. They all give us more meaning to life.
One last sentence in the song, "What a difference a day makes. And the difference is YOU." undoubtedly stresses that YOU are the one who possesses the power to make a change. That even though our life is only like a puff of smoke which can come and go any second, the universe we live in is a life cycle. Our names may not always be remembered but the work of love and changes we've made will remain forever. Fill our days with spreading love, therefore, and the day we leave this world will be the day we make a difference to the world around.
- Yoz Tanuwiria
