Is it possible to live the present moment?

All these days ever since my mind has been forming memories, I always remember waiting for something to happen. This something is not a miracle! It is an ordinary something which would be some event that would be happening in a matter of time.

Let me put it in a simple way. Everyone looks forward to their birthdays as a kid. Some elders do too. I used to look forward to birthdays thinking that I would get something that day which would make my life happy from then on. Till then I was prepared to live life in a completely non entertaining way. Many a times I would simply be killing time. Look at the ants, the birds and squirrels. They gather food and store for the winter. Granted, they do not have the sixth sense to sit around and enjoy a beautiful sunny morning or a cloudy afternoon.

Doesn't this happen to all? Don't we wait for a pay rise at job or that promotion? Don't we wait for something to be over to breath a sigh of relief? When the event I look forward to, does finally come around, my mind would simply jump to the next thing that would happen.

So, is it for people like me that, from the very old days people say live the moment? Thinking along this line seems to be fun indeed but somewhere at the back of my mind and the bottom of my heart lies a deep buried feeling of guilt. Every time I would laugh or take some time off from anticipating and working towards the event, a voice inside me would begin nagging and burst the bubble of happiness.

People around us are to share the blame too. When exams are round the corner, parents chide off their kids as though it was an attempt to murder if they play a game of cricket or watch a TV show or even a movie. There begins the saga of day dreaming and wishing for the exams to get over and for the holidays to finally begin.

Living the present moment warrants spontaneity. The ones who can let go of all the worries, pros and cons of an action and a situation, and plunge into the depth of the moment are the only kind of people who can live life to the fullest extent. Even the most adventurous and rebellious of souls I have come across weigh the consequences of their actions and freak out only if their actions would not create repercussions.

Meditation, yoga and the conditioning of the mind according to me can make a person feel light. They teach the mind and heart to take both the good and bad in the same importance. Will that help in living the present moment? A seasoned mind would be taught and conditioned to deal with any kind of consequence the same way. Would this mean that the present moment to them would be like any other moment?

When it comes to me, I think the mind needs to be tuned to live the current moment. If all of one's actions are focused on a better tomorrow then when one looks back someday life would simply be a dead calendar of useless yesterdays.

 Whew! Living the present moment is easier said than done!

My gurlllll

It was a fine evening. A light breeze carried a maple leaf with it. The breeze was playing with the leaf tossing it up and down, a swivel, a turn. The leaf seemed to enjoy its flight! It made me wonder, how good it would be if one had a life like the maple leaf, laughing all the way.

I had grown up in the same place, from a little one to the ‘Big Guy’. Oh! And by the way, that’s a special name from a special someone. True. I was a big guy now. I had established myself to be one of the finest. I was loved by anyone who has seen me for quite some time. Believe me, when I say that. A mother has entrusted me to look after kids, when she is away looking for her daily bread. Another family has entrusted me to safeguard their savings for their difficult times.

You remember the window the leaf flew through? From there, would my girl gaze at me! We would gaze endlessly at each other. Words didn’t matter to her. Whenever she looked out through the window, I would be there, standing, showing that I was always there for her. Sometimes, she would slip out through her back door to be with me.

Then again, she would do all the talking! We would sit down and she would lean against me. I was contented. She would tell me all that had happened, from our last sneaky meet till then. I would listen. Not interrupting her. That was what she needed. Someone who would accept her as she was, and not judge her. She often said I knew the most about her, than her girl friends or her family. I swelled with pride! I felt most as a big guy in those moments!

I felt lonely now. The window was empty. My girl was not there.

For quite some days, she had not come to see me through the window, let alone sneak out to be with me. I wanted to be accommodating and not feel bad. I had given myself a lot of excuses for her behavior. Now, I was not ready to buy it.

Tonight, I was determined to see her. My very insides ached for her. I leaned over her fence, to see if she was there. Then I saw it! Holding her hand was a handsome guy. She was laughing cheerfully with her head tilted towards the sky. I felt a stab of jealousy and anger. I couldn’t believe she would do this to me. After what seemed like hours of agony to me of watching them together, my sworn enemy left.

Before leaving, he did something that wanted me to rip him apart! He took her hand, lightly, bent down, slowly, and kissed it. She giggled and blushed! The color on her cheeks, as red as the apples I had for her. I could help but notice her beauty and the happiness in her eyes. I wondered if I could keep her that happy. That moment, she saw me. Before I knew it, she ran inside the house.

The evening wore on. I was waiting for her to come over and talk to me. I was going to give her a chance to explain.

I felt tired standing for the first time in all these years. A light breeze was in the air. I felt a chill. Finally, my angel came. She had changed to a white dress. Her hair was loose and fell in waves over her shoulder.

She came and leaned against me as always. As though, nothing had happened. She had a smile that lit her face and the night sky. She was breathing slowly and deeply, contented. As always, I waited for her talk. Minutes ticked…..

“I m getting married! Thought you ought to know!” were the last words that I comprehended. She was talking as always, but I barely listened this time. Her mother came out and saw us. My girl let out a shriek. Her mother laughed. Now I could see where my girl got her magical laugh from. My girl told her mother that she would soon come in. she hugged me tightly and left.

I wanted to pull her back to me. To keep her for myself. I couldn’t. After all, there was only so much, that an apple tree could wish for! The breeze ruffled my leaves, comforting me. Atleast, I still had the squirrel who trusted me with his nuts and the mother sparrow who trusted me with her chicks.

Computers taking over the world! (im)possible!

Ever thought how it would be if you had to be told off by a Robot? or worse being fired by a junk of tin cans?This might happen soon.How soon is the question.Many people are looking for creating intelligence artificially.May be we should first try to spot intelligence among the mass of us around.Let alone creating it for a tin can.