Be Here Now

I can’t believe I’ve made it this far into writing my blog without talking about this phrase. I coined it* back in college and try, desperately, to make it a daily motto, especially when I feel life spiraling out of control.

My junior year of college, my roommate, who I’ve never mentioned before (wink, wink), was quickly falling in love with a young man who would ultimately become her husband. That’s all great and romantic, but he was up in the Midwest while we were down in South Carolina. As I remember it (which may or may not be reality), Pablo spent many a night on the phone and many a weekend traipsing up and down the eastern seaboard to be with this cat. Love is a wonderful and gushy thing, but it’s also a real time-suck, especially if you are the third wheel waiting for the googly eyes to be put away.

On a particularly frustrating (i.e. jealous) night, I stomped my foot and told Pablo to be here now. Not thinking about the weekend, the summer, or the rest of life when she would be with Dudeman, but right there with me and her friends enjoying all the Columbia had to offer. I’m not sure if the lesson got to her, but it definitely stuck with me.

Over the next year as I dealt with my friends graduating and moving on, September 11th happening when I was pretty much by myself, and my own graduation and return to Wisconsin, I often had to remind myself…

Be Here Now

It is SOOOOOOO easy to think about what I want to do next. Hell, I waste half of my day stuck in this hamster wheel, but I really, really try to just be here now, in the moment. Sometimes I’m good at it. Other times I find myself at a Brewers game pissed off that I can’t get a good internet signal because I was really hoping to get caught up on my Bloglovin’ list while Randy watched the game. Or, er… something like that.

Do you?

I remember having a conversation with dad during those last few college months when I was having an anxiety attack over where life was going to take me (and not having control… isn’t that the rub?). I joked that I should get “be here now” tattooed somewhere on my person. Except for my fear of Old Lady Skin, I’m not sure that’s a joke anymore. A daily reminder would be useful.

So to you, dear friend, and to myself, I say to you: be here now. Do not worry about what you’re making for dinner tonight, or packing for the trip next week. Do not spend waking hours on fears of paying for college when you don’t even have the babies yet nor what color flowers you will hold at your wedding if there is not yet a groom. If you are healthy, celebrate your health; do not fret over symptoms that must mean something is up.

Life will take you where you are meant to go. Just enjoy the moment. Experience the experience. Be here now.

Namaste, friends.

*Sure, Ram Dass wrote Be Here Now in 1971 before my parents were even a couple, let alone my parents, but still I take some credit for it. I totally came up with the idea on my own since my high school Comparative Religions teacher** would have frowned upon us actually reading about comparative religions like Hindu. Bonus points for me since I didn’t discover yoga until 10 years after the phrase found me.

** Yes, this teacher was in the top five of worst teachers I’ve ever had.

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