"The Martian" and Fleeting Time

Time is something that needs to be held in high regard, sacred even. Naturally, we as humans too often take time for granted. It is a concept that is distant, abstract, and hard to grasp. Days pass and we do not even think about twice that we did nothing and let the time slip away. We are all guilty of never truly appreciating every second we have been given on earth and sometimes it takes a milestone or even a tragedy to take hold of the fact that our time is slipping away. Sadly, a morbid event or realization often is essential to understand the fleeting nature of time. I know I am not alone in the moment that I realized time will not always be in my favor. I am constantly reminded of the fact that time eventually runs out and I learned this harshly real lesson when my grandfather died as I am sure many people did. Not to say I was not devastated when my grandparents have passed but it was nice to know that they all lived over 80 years. Time became a constant thought in my mind when I heard that people I know my age who I have grown up with have passed away. No person is ever sure when their time is destined to run out and it calls to mind the cliché saying of, “live every moment to the fullest”. It has been said hundreds of times but it is a motto that ironically transcends time and is universal for all people, especially Mark Watney.

            Leaving planet earth is no menial task, and it is one that requires an immensely large amount of time especially if you are planning on going to Mars. A 300-day trip to arrive at the alien planet is another chunk of time that is no minor agreement for the members of the Ares III mission. As the sole survivor on the failed expedition in the book The Martian, Mark Watney’s very existence revolves around time and how he utilizes the amount he has left. He records in his Sol saying, “I don't even know who'll read this. I guess someone will find it eventually. Maybe a hundred years from now” (Weir 5). No matter what productive tasks he completes with his time left, Watney still does not know if anyone will find his recordings if he dies on the desolate wasteland that is Mars. Another interesting aspect of time in space is that he is living in the present trying to escape, but also thinking towards the future about whether or not anyone will find his logs. He realizes that the concept of time is more sacred than it ever was to him prior to this untimely turn of events.

Watney is an entertainingly blunt character who realizes that his time is invaluable to his survival and his chances of dying are quite high. It is interesting to realize that he is racing to outwit time using his extraordinary brain and knowledge acquired through his botany background. Watney ironically says, “After all, I’ve got nothing but time” (Weir 40). Although he has a large amount of time to try and save himself he does understand that it might not work despite the fact he can dedicate all of his time to ensure his survival. Knowing your days are numbered is a jarring realization that makes people understand that all we truly have is each moment we are alive. Similar to the events I had aforementioned, Watney is in the midst of his realization about the holiness of time. Time is a gift and is one that is too often taken for granted by those who have never been giving an expiration date. Through Watney’s recordings, it is clear to see that time is to be cherished and only when we realize it is fleeting do we come to realize the idiosyncratic nature of time and how we measure not only our days, but our lives.