And all the time he's mumbling.

Equivalence

By one definition, equivalence refers to two statements which are intrinsically linked such that they are consistently either both false or both true. If one were to be false, and the other true, they would create a logical contradiction. By another, it means merely that two terms are presented as being equivalent, and by another it refers to measurement, saying that two things are equal in a quanitifiable value.

These are all literal, textbook definitions, and do little to explain the deeper meanings, feelings and interpretations the word can evoke. Value and worth should not be, but often are, applied to human sentient beings. Is one individual equivalent to another, one life equivalent to another? In society's eyes, is an artist equivalent to a doctor? They both contribute to society, in different and not always quantifiable ways. Is someone from a wealthy family equivalent to someone less fortunate? Certainly their monetary resources aren't, but is this counted in the worth of a person? Is one moment equivalent to another? They both occupy the same space of time, but one can be the most poignant experience of your life. Is one child equivalent to another? In a parent's eyes, can there truly be no preferece between one child and another, two vastly different individuals?

It's strange that a Deity would ask such a question, one who regularly deals in lives as currency; one who suggests that one life is worth the same as another, or that enough memories can comprise the value of a life. To one person, this afternoon may be empty of meaning, spent doing tedious busywork, cleaning or relaxing. To another, this afternoon may be the afternoon they fall in love with the person they're bound to spend the rest of their life with. They are the same afternoon, but to each individual, they are vastly different experiences. One life would be no different without it; the other would never be the same if it were removed.

On a clock, a minute is a minute, each equally spaced, lasting for the exact same precisely measured amount of time. At any point, though, a minute can become the difference between never seeing the one you love again, or getting to say that you love them one last time.