The Moment

The ability to live in the moment is long gone.

I think this highly occurred to me because I’ve started driving. Because as I’m driving home (which is the only time thus far I get on the actual street), I realize that you can’t take a second to do anything while you do it. You have to focus on the road, focus on the cars, focus on the signs, and focus on the pedestrians. You can’t simply look over for a second when you see something interesting. There is no stopping to smell the roses. You’ve already driven past them by the time you’ve considered anything.

Outside of the realm of driving, you might be doing one thing, but your mind is wandering off, thinking of what you’re going to do, or reminiscing about something, or daydreaming, and you completely miss everything that’s just happened. Or maybe you paid attention, but a little piece of your mind still wasn’t entirely there.

I mean, it’s gotten to the point where a lot of families don’t even sit down to eat together. They scarf everything down in front of the tv, or everyone just goes off into their own worlds, or everyone just eats when they feel like it. Eating dinner with your family has to be one of the most exemplary ways to live in the moment. Delicious foods (or not so delicious ones) ensnare your senses; family members have a conversation without finding the need to talk over each other. People smile, and laugh, and love.

But then everything goes back to normal in a near instant, and family members drift into their own world away from the rest of the family. People do their own things, and go back to focusing on things they aren’t doing.

I think children, perhaps not this generation of children in particular, but children in general, they know how to stop and smell the roses. If something is interesting they go after it. When playing with friends, a child is ensnared in their imagination, not in the realm of tomorrow or yesterday. They forgive and forget with ease, because now is what matters.

Getting back to my separation of this generation of children from the rest. Earlier and earlier we are forced to grow up, and stop living in the moment. Second graders learn multiplication. Nine year olds have cell phones that they text on constantly. Gossip begins earlier, leading people away from the moment of reality. And it’s all disappearing.

It’s time to stop and smell the roses. It’s time to bring back the moment. It’s time to relax. It’s time get away from the technology draining our life away. It’s time to focus on our loved ones.

It’s time to live again.
~Jess the Nerdfighting BandGeek

PS: Slightly related to the begining, a bird pooped on me through the window while I was driving. It's just my luck really.