Still, as I sit on the balcony contemplating the meaning of things, I find myself drawn back in time to summers past and balconies present. Warm sun, cold drinks, insightful music and compelling conversation all add up to thoroughly satisfying times consumed in the pursuit of nothing consequential. Nothing, that is, save simply being in the here and now: no world-weary concerns or cares to serve as distractions.
Sometimes, merely watching the day go by is pursuit enough. Allowing for the passage of time above all else seems oddly purposeful and fulfilling, when taking in the true measure of things. Like the sound of a mellow jazz vibe enjoyed under the swaying branch of a wind-kissed tree, life is best savoured in the moment.
I was reminded again this week of the fragility of life. All things have an expiry date, whether a carton of milk, bottle of beer, ripe banana or the whole of human existence. And despite our bravado to the contrary, we humans are no less subject to the inevitability of nature than any of our fellow creatures. The simple fact is that if we fail to acknowledge our own mortality, all is for naught.
Which, in an albeit roundabout way, brings me full circle. As I sit in the warm June sun and think of times past and wonder about times to come, I feel a sense of quiet contentment that things unfold the way they must. If, for no other reason, than to remind us of the very fact that we are unique among the denizens of this world. We alone recognize the concept of times past, present and future. All other species on Earth live exclusively in, and can only even conceive of, the now. Maybe, when considered in this light, we atop the food chain have something to learn our brethren below…
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