Living the Present

In October I won the ticket lottery to attend a Jack Johnson concert. He is my absolute favorite and I never win anything, so I was beyond ecstatic. Me and three close friends shared the tickets, and embarked on a fun filled night in the big city (I don't get out much!)   After a delicious dinner we arrived just in time for the main act to begin. 

I settled into our seats and as the lights dimmed and Jack Johnsons smooth voice enveloped the auditorium............I was blown away. All across the seats and pretty much every other person was accompanied by a blue screen. Smart phones held high, they were "capturing the moment". Blessed by my rural location, I don't have a smart phone, no carriers have good enough service to justify the cost. I felt like the only person in the whole audience that wasn't virally sharing this awesome experience. For a minute I felt left out, but then I merely felt sad for humanity.

We've replaced immediate human interaction for online worldwide sharing. I think we've made the wrong choice. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert screen free; singing along, taking in the lighting and atmosphere, dancing.......living in the moment. And I vividly remember that night, it is a great memory. 

Everywhere you go it's the same, I'm sure you've seen it too, people on their phones, iPods, tablets; out at dinner, in a movie, at the park; digitally sharing their current experience with the world. Don't get me wrong, I fully enjoy the world of social media, sometimes too much. 

I'm not one for "New Years Resolutions", but this year I am making a conscience decision to live in the moment. It stems from having a newborn and realizing that each moment, every experience, every day is so fleeting. It's here, it's the now, it's the present. A gift to you to take and make it what you will. 

So next time your out to dinner, enjoying a beautiful sunset, watching your kids play. Don't update your status about it, don't pin it, don't Instagram it: Live it! Take it in, take a mental picture and enjoy it!! It'll be gone before you know it. I challenge you to live in the present. 

That age old saying, sleep when your baby sleeps, I found impossible to do today. All I wanted to do was stare at my newborn son. His forehead wrinkled, his eyes fluttered in sweet baby dream land. He slowly opened and closed his fingers, his bed head of dark hair was sticking up at the top of his head. His lips gave off a soft sleepy smile. 

Today was a present and I lived it, did you?