Sunday, November 09, 2014

Retraining myself to live in the moment

Reading this songwriting book has made me aware of how much I miss on a daily basis.  Whether it ever helps me get back to writing, it is certainly waking me up to the fact that I haven't been paying attention to real life.  I blog about things, I share things on Facebook, I take pictures, but all the while I have been failing to live in the present and notice what's going on around me.  I would do better to just stand and gaze at beauty rather than be looking through a camera lens at everything.  I've read articles about this very thing, but today it really hit home as I read over the list of things I am supposed to be aware of when I do my daily writing exercise:  Sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, body, motion.

Usually I go out, let the cow in with the calves, then come to the house and grab the Ipad to check Facebook or play Sudoku for twenty minutes or so.  Then I go out, separate the cow from the calves, and come back inside.  

This morning, after putting mom with the babies, I lingered outside, reminding myself to look around and be aware, be alive.  What did I see?  A moon in the east, growing smaller now, but still lighting up the night sky well enough that no flashlight was needed.  To the west, a faint rosy-red glow where the sun would soon be coming up.  As the glow got brighter, I appreciated the skeletons of trees making designs in front of it.  "I should go get my camera," I thought, and then resisted the impulse, because I knew that would take away my "living in the moment".

Then I concentrated on  the sounds around me.  At first I only heard the breeze rushing past my ears, but when I walked around the house and got out of the wind, I could hear my feet swishing through the grass as I walked. Standing still, I heard the apple tree leaves rustling, and in the far distance, the sound of traffic on 24 highway.  

That's about as far as I got, experimenting with my senses, but it was an amazing experience.  For several minutes, I was actually living life, not just existing or trying to find something to say or show on the Internet.  I did finally get the camera, by the way, just because I was ready to come inside anyhow.  

The thing is, though, that no picture can match reality.  I need to take a lot more time looking at the real thing rather than taking pictures I will look at one time and never again.

With bellies full of milk, Moose watches Mama Kitty in the distance and Whitey practices his new-found skill, grazing.  

Gypsy hangs out near her mom as long as possible, even when there is a fence between them.



4 comments:

  1. It is really hard to live in the moment. We are always thinking about what is next. I do love to unplug sometimes and not worry about taking pics of events and just enjoy the moment. I do that with my kids events with school and extra curricular, I don't bother to photograph them much or video them because then I am not enjoying the moment as much as I could be.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think it's a mix of living the experience but also trying to capture it. I always feel those feelings when I look at a photo I've taken; it brings back memories of that place or time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That is a very inspirational book for sure. Loved your present moments this morning. Right now is what is important. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow hasn't come.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Living in the moment is something I need to do more of too. You are giving me inspiration to get back into life.

    ReplyDelete

I love comments!