The whole state of Texas is counting the minutes until 5, and not just because it's Friday. The owner of an unclaimed million-dollar lottery ticket, bought six months ago on New Year's Day, has until 5 p.m to redeem it.

If anything, this statewide nail-biter can teach us all a lesson: no show, no dough. How much of human life is lost in waiting? How many opportunities slip through our fingers while we dawdle? Hopefully, we'll all be quicker to set reminders on our phones in the future. In this case, a missed deadline can cost a fortune.

Our mystery millionaire bought the Mega Millions Texas Lottery ticket at the 7-Eleven on Renner Road. The numbers are 34-44-57-62-70, and the ticket (if redeemed) is worth $1 million.

While it may be a stretch, we hope that the owner has reasons for absence that are not so painful as pure procrastination. Perhaps the missing millionaire means to pay his winnings forward. If unclaimed, the money may go to programs such as Fund for Veterans' Assistance and the Foundation School Fund.

Somewhere in North Texas, a million dollars may be hiding beneath that Cheetos bag below your passenger seat, or tumbling through the spin cycle in your laundry machine. Search through all your pants pockets and check between the couch cushions.

And for goodness' sake, tie a string around your finger or mark the day on the calendar from now on. You never know what you'll miss being late.