As I sit alone in the chill of the nearly deserted poolside deck on the last evening of our Alaska Inside Passage cruise, watching the expansive blue water stretching between mountain and sky, I realize that most of my life I’ve tried to store up moments, cataloging recipes and tastes, curating views and taking photos, in order to recreate the dish or relive the experience and to relive the pinnacle experience as a part of my daily life. It occurs to me that this is a vain pursuit, impoverishing the enjoyment of the present while simultaneously robbing the future. You may have heard the saying “It’s never the same river twice.” The water is always new.
Moments of our life are the same as the river. You may order the same meal, sit at the same table on the same day of the same month, even with the same people. But you’re not the same person enjoying the meal. Trying to relive the moment does not work. I’m not saying to abandon the future. Take the picture. Get the recipe. But don’t let the pursuit of the future prevent savoring the present. I’m not suggesting you should be the grasshopper. But sometimes the ant needs to take a pause. Maybe one day I’ll learn.
So on that note… no pictures in this second part. I’m saving this draft so I can sit and watch the ocean.
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