Here and now

Summary

The author reflects on the concept of finding happiness in the present moment, despite life's challenges, through simple daily experiences and the joy they can bring.

Abstract

The author has extensively researched the idea of embracing the present to find happiness, acknowledging that the past is gone and the future is uncertain. In a moment of personal worry during difficult times, they recall the wisdom of living in the 'here and now.' By appreciating the mundane, such as a fragrant lunch prepared by a spouse and sharing a bottle of wine, the author finds contentment. They draw a parallel between modern-day writers and prehistoric cavemen, suggesting that storytelling and reflection are timeless human activities. The author concludes that happiness can be found in ordinary days, without the need for extraordinary achievements or external validation.

Opinions

The author expresses a desire to fast-forward through life's difficult moments, indicating a struggle with patience and acceptance.
There is a recognition that constant worrying and self-pity are unproductive, and that focusing on the present can be a powerful antidote.
The act of sharing a meal and conversation with a loved one is seen as a source of joy and a way to connect with the essence of human experience.
The author finds humor and perspective in comparing modern life to that of prehistoric humans, suggesting that the fundamentals of happiness have remained unchanged.
There is an acknowledgment that future memories of today's ordinary moments may reveal that happiness was present all along, without the need for significant accomplishments or recognition.

Here and now

I have read countless articles and attended lectures about “being happy here and now”. Obviously we know that we only have the present, more precisely the here and now, this right moment to be happy. What has been, is gone, and what will come, to the future it belongs. When I’m going through some trouble, fear or disappointment, I really want to hurry up the movie and skip to the next part. Oh, I wish I had a remote control for real life.

I woke up worried. After all, who doesn’t wake up worried in these hard times? I threatened to feel sorry for myself. Then I remembered the “here and now” articles and lectures. It’s worth trying. I will not go into paranoia. No way.

My husband was doing something fragrant for lunch. I opened a bottle of wine with nothing to celebrate and I opened a smile, at first, a crooked smile, it’s true, I confess. We talked about routine and cavemen. I wondered if the Neanderthal man had realized it was better to hunt in the morning and rest in the afternoon. He would bring the meat, light the fire and everyone would eat around the fire pit.

My husband added that at nightfall, when the moonlight cleared the cave (oh how beautiful!) the primitive man would certaily write about his hunting day on the rough stone walls, just as writers and poets do today in their computers. Not all cavemen were writers, just as not everyone today is. We laugh at that, we got drunk with wine. Anyway, I sent the witch back to the forest.

Tomorrow starts all over again. I know that other witches will come after me. But, it is possible to live a joyful ordinary day and perhaps sometime in the future we will remember the ordinary days and realize that we were happy without winning the lottery, nor winning any contest, even without being the first ballerina at the American Ballet Theater or being a short story writer like Alice Munro.

Happiness, if it exists, is here and now.