“Making the most of today is the key to a well lived life.” That just came in from Cris commenting on yesterday’s post. Yes, I am with you on that.
Yes, there is more to it than just living in the present. Living in the present should not include a disregard for the past or the future. Living in the present should not sort of impinge upon the past or the future. It is just the emphasis that is placed on today.
I ran into trouble with this yesterday as I started thinking about the ranch and growing crow and living in harmony with the seasons. That takes one out of the strict live for today esthetic. Each season has it’s chores. Maybe chores isn’t the right word. But there are things to do in a particular season that won’t work in another season. One thing sort of has to build on the last.
That isn’t living in the present in the 1960’s mindset. But living in harmony with the seasons “has a good beat and it’s fun to dance to!” That’s what they used to say on the dance shows when a new hot record came out. But living with the seasons has a good beat and it is fun to dance to!
But hark, I haven’t said a thing about fear. I didn’t even notice I was so caught up in our conversation. I guess we are successfully working on quelling fear right here right now in the present.
And that is really what I want to get at, to keep fear under control. Obviously it is here to stay but it needs a small place in our lives not the ogre that it can easily become.
today’s love, Felipé.
Phil–Synchronicity. I have been writing the chapter on fear in my new book all week, and now I find out it is Fear Week in Caminoheadland. I feel so connected. Here is a good story. When Katherine and I were on the Camino, we saw a sign in a bathroom we could not parse. Katherine’s Spanish is limited; she could not conjugate. She would say, “Vamos” (We go) and point back over her shoulder to make it “We went.” :-> So we asked the young Spanish hospitalero to help us translate, and Katherine said shyly, “I’m sorry, I can only speak in present tense.” He smiled a broad and sunny smile, and responded in perfect English, “That’s okay. There is no past; there is no future; there is only the present. That is all you need.” What a great lesson–it stays with us still.
Henriette ~ you’re kidding. We didn’t confer on that did we? Ron got me started with his post last Friday but it is something that I tend to talk about at QandA’s. It is something that all people with Cancer wrestle with no matter what. It always seems to come up because it is so universal. And good story, very Camino! Felipé.x
Wow, I didn’t mean to start a whole ‘Fear Week’ theme, but sometimes a dream expands to capture others’ attention.
I took a great class at the university I worked at called “Metaphor in Religion, Science and Medicine.” It was taught by the best teacher I have ever had in 50 years of being taught one thing or another. The topic I focused on was the metaphors commonly used by people in the healing process – Cancer in particular. The common metaphors are ‘fight,’ battle,’ and ‘war.’ My non-violent nature led me to terms like ‘journey,’ ‘path,’ and ‘life.’ This is years ago, and I don’t remember much, but in my paper I included the ‘fact’ that none of the Wars have been won – War on Poverty, War on Drugs, War on Illegal _____.’ Whatever.
Anyway, I think that Felipe might agree that ‘the Journey’ is a healing metaphor, and our walking alongside him – and each other – is healing in so many ways to us all.
OK, let’s not have a metaphor week next week!
Ron ~ I don’t know that generally people with Cancer have the right vocabulary to handle the situation. There is a lot of the “battle” stuff out there but generally it is in obituaries. “He had a long battle…” Patients don’t have good language I find. The journey metaphor seems to fit well but one needs to be familiar with journeys to really use that. Well, we are working on things! I see Debra made it to Santiago with her husband Wes. Just got phone message. Hello to Ann. Felipé.