The Difference Between

Life is what happens between "Thens."

I've been noticing myself a lot more lately focusing on the "thens" in my life. Anytime you set yourself up for big change you start focusing on them. You look back and say, remember back "Then" when I would do so and so? In that context, "Then" becomes a measuring stick for whether or not youre being successful at your changes. That half of "Then" carries a lot of stuff...and as we go along it picks up even more stuff. Lots of us get stuck back in that "Then" with things like glory days or past regrets. "Man, life was so good back then." or "Back then I was such an idiot." Its loaded down with things like regrets and if-onlies. It attracts us because we know it. It's safe to us. We know exactly how it went. We know exactly how we wish it had gone. Some of us like to replay it over and over again to see if we can forge a different outcome. "Back then" is useful. And "Back then" is dangerous.

Also there is the "Then" that looms ahead of us. I'll be honest this is my favorite one. Its all misty and hazy and unknown..and pregnant with potential. Why, we could be ANYTHING we want to be in the misty hazy Then-time!!! (did you read that like the kids in Peter Pan just before they flew? No? Go read it again!) I'm a dreamer, a BIG day dreamer...Then is my favorite place..."Imagine where we'll be then!!" "Think of how great it will be then!!" We can look forward and beg "Then" to hurry...We can rush through so much empty space waiting for "then" that we completely miss the very most important peice of time...


The time between the thens.

Now is much different from the thens. Now is wild. Now can be so many things! Now can be as empty and lifeless as staring at a white wall that was painted a year ago to see if it will dry more than it already has. Or Now can be as intimidating as a rabid bear chasing you when you have a pack of hotdogs tied to your bum. We sometimes wish now away so that we can get to the then, or get back to the then. But then is nothing special. Its not what we remember or hope it to be. Why then (either of them)...is nothing more than a cheap imitation of the now.

Now is the only reality we have. Now is the only time to work, to play, to love, to grow, to cherish, to inspire, to live.


So whatta we do now?

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