The Present

So we've heard it a million times by peers, family, teachers or even pets, for those of you who talk to them. That the future is a pointless worry, the past a fruitless land. The present must be dwelled in and the present is all that matters.

That is, to some extent, correct.  Pondering over the atrocities and unfairness that took place in the past is a relentless journey that doesn't end. It hurts us and keeps us from achieving what we are most capable of. It is a downright horror! But, how tempting  the devil’s invitation can be! It’s a part of us, a part that has loose threads of memories hanging from it. Some you want to cut off and the others you want to stitch back. The old cliché says that times heals all wounds and so we gather up a tad bit of that faith and leave the mess on the floors of our heads, hoping for it to fly away with the next stroke of strong breeze.

The Future has its own viruses. It is the land of anxieties having anxieties. Let me put it this way, if we feed on the past then it would be safe to say that the future feeds on us. We keep its non-existence alive by letting it swirl in our heads and mess around. Maybe because we were always taught to think of the brighter future or the bigger picture and stuff like that. What they should have taught us instead was to NOT THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE. Because looking back I just wish someone would have taught me that. But we’re all just slaves to the same old human flaws thrust upon us.

So what does that leave us with? Oh yes, the good old Present which never exactly gets old but it’s a dear constant.

 I don’t think anyone ever points out the dark side of living in the present. There’s the merry boat ride that takes place every day in the present. It begins with us reaching beyond horizons, aiming high, taking chances, believing and it ends with a lot of positive energy, a smile and a tinge of small success leaving us euphoric.

But then there’s the dungeon on the boat where most of us find ourselves in at some point or the other. This dungeon is, regardless to say, dark and dingy with bats and made up monsters that basically look like they’re just there to ruin everything for us. What am I talking about? Why, it’s the obvious day to day fiascoes we come across. Maybe a fight with a friend or the abysmal loneliness that strikes or simply a bad day. They pull you down in the moment and the suction makes it impossible to breathe. The good news, well, it doesn't last that long. So that’s the side we should all be aware of.

It’s a long journey ahead and the past and the future aren't going to leave us that soon, honestly. We’re kind of stuck there. And in that moment of wholesome regrets or worries and no shelter we will run to the present and expect this glorious amount of bright light shining in our faces but that’s not going to happen. The bright light isn't always going to be there and even when it is, it may only be enough to sneak in through the crevices of our insecurities. But that’s when we need to be able to look for it because that is what will save us and not some oblivious escapade we were planning to meet up with.