In the Blink of a Lifetime
There is no telling what secrets and revelations may haunt in these lonesome wee hours of the night. I spent four days on empty roads, walked in untrammeled alpine meadows and slept among the verdant aspen groves on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains before returning home to my beloved high desert. It’s always hard to sleep after such a trip. There’s something about long drives and nights in the woods steeped in the silvery glow of a full moon that sticks in the mind and chases away sleep. Now sitting on my little porch at 3am, listening to a quiet breeze in the cottonwoods and savoring each lungful of sage scented desert air, the moments replay in my mind, peaceful, beautiful and rewarding.
Somewhere in Colorado, a local radio announcer spoke longingly of his “weekend getaway” in the mountains. In this land of opportunity, why would anyone choose a life they need to get away from? Why do so many spend their lives in fear of living; constantly seeking to silence and distract themselves from the mournful calling of unfulfilled dreams? So many work to satisfy others, to mimic others, to become others; willingly sacrificing the majority of their own precious time on this magical Earth in what Thoreau so perfectly termed “a life of quiet desperation”.
Upon returning, a friend sent me a link to a footwear commercial proclaiming that “it’s in these rare moments that you really feel alive”. How very sad. Why should feeling alive be confined to rare moments? When you think about it, if feeling alive is not worth taking risks and breaking away from self-imposed confinement, what is? And if those “rare moments” are the only times you feel alive, what do you feel the rest of the time? If you don’t like the answer, what will you do about it? The clock is ticking. Life is fleeting. If you don’t feel alive now, when will you?
If you are of a certain age, you know the feeling of astonishment at the thought of years and decades gone by. A memory or a song or a photograph that seems so vivid and fresh is suddenly twenty years away; maybe thirty; maybe more. In that moment of truth not too far away, a lifetime may not seem all that long. What will you have to show for it? Make it more than just a handful of rare moments.
“Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.” –Walt Whitman
Great work. Well done.
“Make it more than just a handful of rare moments.” .. Very well said.
Guy:
So absolutely true and you highlighted this is a clear way. Each day is a gift, and if we fail to see that and live that, then we are simply, as you say, spending your life in fear of living. The clock is indeed ticking – don’t lose those moments!
Love the photo – it just brings home the words in your entry.
Wonderfully said Guy. Those moments that make up the quality in our lives often do seem fleeting and Thoreau’s point is sadly true for many. Your words are as inspiring as your images and I believe I can smell that sage on your porch! – thank you.
Man, you said it well Guy. I am of a ‘certain age’ myself, going through a period of change and uncertainty, and am making some decisions. My own thoughts have been along these same lines and I find this post very inspiring. Rare moments aren’t good enough anymore — only a rare life will do. Thank you.
A beautifully written post Guy. I totally changed my life for exactly these reasons and I have to say, it is a lot easier to do than one would think. It seems impossibly difficult and terrifying as a concept, but once its done, I can only wonder why I didn’t do it sooner.
I very much enjoy your blog, you inspire me to become a better writer (and you’ve inspired me as a photographer for some time as well).
I love it when you write these posts. It’s like that gentle hand reaching out to wake us up and shake the cobwebs from our souls. And then you finish it up with an image that does the same thing!
Well said
Your best of your written blog entries yet. Reminds me of some of our e-mail conversations long ago about living intentionally. Thanks for the confirmation, Guy.
Nice one Guy… we aim to get as many of these as we can…
for some reason often when i read these inspirational posts i end up feeling guilty and sad and feel as though i need to justify my existence or make excuses for my place. but actually living the way we ordinary people do gives us small moments of pride and dreams for a better future and hope for a vacation and reason to savor every moment of a hard fought for day off just to sit in a comfy chair and drink beers and watch the sox on tv. whenever i feel bad about my life i try to remember those less lucky than me. there you go again- inspired me enough to write a lengthy response- thanks, and have a nice day.
Guy
So true you hit the nail on the head. Great picture.
neville
Very moving post, Guy. It’s true, we dull our minds and senses by surrounding ourselves with escapes like TV, media, gadgets, devices and other fleeting entertainment, all pushed to us by “the machine” that would rather keep us from feeling, thinking and wondering in the moment why we have chosen to be powerless in such a beautiful, abundant world.
Excellent, excellent post! IMO, one of your all time best!
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