I enjoy the show “Mad About You,” and have managed to find it in reruns at night here. One of the episodes I saw a while back was Our Fifteen Minutes.
The premise was that Paul and Jamie set up cameras everywhere in their apartment. They were then supposed to turn them on for fifteen minutes straight and go about their normal life. The idea was that there would be a 15 minutes in the lives of several different directors, turning the cameras on them, and Paul was chosen as one of them.
Through the course of the show they keep trying to turn them on and keep restarting them, not pleased with how those 15 minutes represent them.
Watching it though, I started thinking about what 15 minutes of my life would look like. And then I started thinking about what would I like to be on a 15 minutes of my life. And then I got real philosophical and started wondering why they are so different.
I don’t waste all the time in my day. But I wonder if I were to randomly select any fifteen minute segment during a 24 hour day, what would be the odds of picking a fifteen minute segment that would be me doing something.
So I’m going to make a table and see how the percentages work out for each week.
There are 96 fifteen minute segments in each day. Because none of my days are anything like any of the others, let’s look at a whole week, or 672 segments.
| Activity | Percentage | Comments |
| I spend about (hopefully) 32 segments each day sleeping. | 224/672
33.333% |
Those would be boring segments though because I am a very boring sleeper – no moving or talking at all. |
| The odds of finding me traveling: On a day when I have school, I spend about 8 segments on the bus. It’s another 4 segments driving to church and back. | 28/672
4.167% |
The bus segments would be interesting, but not watching me. Have you seen some of the people that ride the bus? |
| The odds I’m in class: On Tuesday I am in class for 20 segments. Wednesday I am only in class for 8 segments. And on Thursday I am in class for 12 segments. | 40/672
5.952% |
Those could be interesting segments. I do like my classes. |
| I’m supposed to spend 40 segments of each week at work | 40/672
5.952% |
I grade papers. Depending on the answers some kids give, it can really be quite entertaining. I’ve actually laughed out loud grading papers before. |
| Studying the Gospel with others. Wednesday you might also find me in institute, which would be 8 segments. Sunday I’m in church for 12 segments as well as meeting with Brett to study the scriptures for 8-12 segments.42D | 32/672
4.762% |
Now some of those would be good segments to catch. |
| Studying the Gospel by myself. Between studying the scriptures, the Ensign, and writing in my journal, I probably have 36 segments each week | 36/672
4.672% |
Quiet, not exciting to watch. |
| I probably spend 4-6 segments in the bathroom showering or primping or something each day. | 42/672
6.250% |
Not terribly interesting I’m afraid. Also not suitable for filming. |
| I spend roughly 32 segments a week doing homework. Traveling time, when on the bus, not driving, is often spent studying as well, but I’m counting those separately. | 32/672
4.762% |
Doing homework is not always the most entertaining, I can’t imagine watching someone else do it is any better. |
| Running takes up another 4 segments or so roughly four times a week, sometimes more. That would be 16 segments each week with some rounding error. | 16/672
2.381% |
Not interesting, but I find them relaxing. |
| Laundry would be 4 segments each week and cleaning the house another 4 (it’s a small house). | 8/672
1.190% |
But that wouldn’t be good entertainment. |
| And 4 segments each week buying milk and stuff. | 4/672
0.595% |
Not too exciting. |
| What if I spend about 3 segments each day eating. | 21/672
3.125% |
Me cooking is not that exciting. That’s why I don’t do it more. It’s not even that exciting to me. I much prefer eating. |
If I did the math right, that’s 478 segments accounted for, 71.131% of my week, 119.5 hours, not quite 5 days (5 days being 120 hours). So then what do I do with the rest of those segments? Of course there is a bit of rounding error on all of that, but still. I really should stop complaining about not having enough time. Because I’m pretty sure a lot of those segments are spent on the computer checking email and writing real weird blog posts.
I am an educator and PhD. I quilt, belly dance, run, read, and try to grow things. I am a Mormon. I am infertile. I am a daughter, sister, aunt, grand-daughter, friend, wife, and mom.
Brett L. Dennis
Mama g
Giggles
AmandaStretch
That chart is impressive. I haven’t seen that episode of Mad about you, but I have thought about filming a day in my life. I even went so far as to find a camera person. However, it was right before Jared graduated and we moved. I figured that it wouldn’t be a correct version of my day since I was packing a lot. Oh well. I don’t think that anyone would be interested in watching it, I just wanted proof of my crazy life. At the time I had a 2 1/2 year old and a 1 1/2 year old. I enjoyed seeing how you spend your time though.
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