Surely reality can’t be all that difficult. Then try to explain it to me: it is not so easy is it? All of us are faced with the same fundamental realization that I, and I alone, am seeing the world through my eyes: an absurdly simplistic statement but one fraught with complications and misunderstandings. The other day I was hurriedly driving my scooter down one of our main thoroughfares. The trees, shrubs, scooters, and cars seemed to whisk by. Much like life, there was little time for reflection: I was on my way to a destination, I having designated its importance. Then, something overcame me and the words of Baltasar Gracian (2) sprang to mind: “All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.” I slowed my trajectory, pulled to the side of the boulevard, and stopped.
I have commented on this before, but this particular piece of my reality was somehow different, perhaps it was the pace of the traffic. I am not quite sure. There was an intensity that made this instant without movement more indelible. I am old enough to have been born in a time that was devoid of even television. Yes, it is true. Some younger colleagues have commented that there must have been a few dinosaurs still living, the small ones with long necks. My family purchased a “TV” when I was six years old. We were obviously rich and sophisticated. I still remember the “friends” that convened at our house because of that simple material acquisition. “The Age of the Time Waster” had begun. The television is an interesting phenomenon because, much like all screens, (cell phone et al.), it validates you. It gives you worth and the illusion that this period is valuable: I am important. The computer is more interactive, of course. The channel changer does not have as much power.
I got off my little two-wheeled machine and walked along the sidewalk. The juxtaposition of people leisurely walking and the frantic nature of the road was somehow quite jarring. Is this the choice I must make to become a peaceful and normal human being: a life of reckless speed and intensity or one of quiet reflection? The answer lies in comprehending the moment, for it is the only space in your existence that is real. This sounds nonsensical at the onset, but with reflection one comes to find that this is the only truth. As an interesting aside, Greek young people are returning in droves to the countryside and eschewing city life: Why are so many young Greeks turning to farming?
“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy (or sad) now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have spent, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” (2) Now, all of this is esoteric nonsense unless it brings value to individual life. I have the honor of teaching literally hundreds of students on a weekly basis. They need and, in fact, demand “life tools” that are practical and usable. The one that we present and continuously reiterate is that “You must develop the capacity to think,” which we all possess. Unless we are stupid and most of us are not: learn to think. “Become thoughtful” and the world will change, I am sure. Do we really believe that the ISIS terrorist and the Buddhist monk are fundamentally different than me? The great philosopher, priest, and paleontologist Pierre Teihard de Chardin (1881-1955) leaves with a thought: We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. l
A closing thought: When I was very young my father managed a large swathe of logging camps, their production capacity. He would often take me with him. On any given day, he would charter a small float plane (3) and we would fly to one of these distant operations. What was the most exhilarating was the takeoff, the flight, and the landing. Stop for a moment, quickly add in frenetic activity, and begin to bounce. I was, obviously, quite small. It was hard to look out of the window so I was initially left with the sensation from inside the cabin. I eventually unbuckled my seat belt, my father was a “stickler” for safety, and peered at the doll houses, miniature cars and trucks below. Was this the “really real,” I often asked: is this how God saw the world? The forests went on forever. It is hard to believe that industrial logging would decimate this vast resource, but it did. This industry no longer has the preeminence it once had. These flights with my father, however, continue to give a romantic tinge to this era of my life. Paper trail: The decline of Canada’s forestry industry
To sum up: This week we spoke about the passage of time and the necessity to grasp it before it is gone forever. This can only be achieved through mindfulness and being “in the now.”
An amusing occurrence: I indulged myself the other day and put my miniature earphones in my ear as I was driving my scooter. At one point in David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, I was at a stop light. I was screeching, “It’s all right, the band was all together,” or words to that effect when a young woman gently touched my shoulder and asked if everything was fine?
Just for fun: David Bowie – Lady Stardust
This week, please reflect on your time: make it important!
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote:
Footnotes:
1) “Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.” This was written by the Roman- Gallic poet, Ausonius (310-395 AD).
2) Fr. Gracian was an interesting man. He lived in the Spanish Golden Age (15th -17th centuries) and much like many of us in the Internet Age was confused by the changes he saw in the society and in the world. He had to delve into himself for answers and understanding. His seminal book is The Art of Worldly Wisdom (ISBN: 9-781-49790-4491).