That was Then, This is Now

As experiences go, the eclipse was pretty cool—temperature drop duly noted. Short-lived, gender-neutral, apolitical, and a relief from a pretty warm summer's day.

I liked the quietness of the moment here where I live. Another respite from the resounding 24/7 yakking that seems to define the current culture. But, onward we move. Through space. Through time. Into our respective nows.

The past has, uh, passed. Glib?  Of course. Nor are we there yet, the future somewhere beyond the blink of our eyes—many blinks even. Elusive, just ahead, foreseeable, and yet unforeseeable.

Sure, for centuries and centuries retailers of living-in-the-moment guides have tutored us in the ways of being in the present, attentively. I do not know how many folks are attentive, but some are, sure as the sun will rise—most likely, chronicling their moments. They instafacesnap like gerbils spinning the wheel.

Look! Here’s a moment and here’s another one and here’s another one. And lest some have some doubt of that now back then, like a bolt from Zeus, from the cloud the evidence will appear.

Okay, a mea culpa. Nope, I am not especially nostalgic, and nope, not so sentimental. I do sometimes peruse the On this Date feature offered by our good friends at Facebook. More often than not, not very affecting. Which could speak more to my lifestyle admittedly. 

I will remember standing in my backyard. I will remember the shadowy pall cast over our slice of this firmament. I will remember the laughing of children nearby. Until I don’t.

But that will be then, this is now.