Chapter 276

Our experience of time always goes in one direction . . . Given that nothing is ever going to be the same, and that backwards isn’t an option, our only choice is forward. Godin

Forward motion. Its our only real choice. No matter how much you want it to be otherwise, no one has yet been able to move any direction but forward. Backwards isn’t an option, even though we spend an inordinate amount of time around here reminiscing about the past. The past can easily be 80% of our conversation around here. That is why I always have a “big project” for us to focus on and work on. That is the only way I have found so far to keep my dad firmly in the Now. Generally life is much more tolerable around here for me, if we keep the conversations in the Now or even the near Now, which is sometimes known as the recent past, which for my dad can be 72 years ago (and unless you think I am joking, mules were just part of the conversation/monologue going on the background while I was writing this. MULES!)

This is not living, this is trying to hold back time, or rewind it altogether. Won’t work. Never has. Our experience with time always goes in only one direction. Seth got it right, because that is what is, plain and simple. 

So what if we focused all our energy on making a better future? Rather than trying to return to something or to somewhere or to someone in our past? 

You might even get to enjoy those efforts.