On Thursday my back country partner and I skied into the Rae Glacier as a recon trip and to see if we could get the kites out for a little rip. It had snowed about 8" inches the days before and that morning it was cold and still snowing. We were more than happy to get out anyway and a bad day in the mountains is still better then a good day in the city.
We didn't have much trouble getting up to the Glacier except for some loose rock and pretty much just took our time. It was blasting up near the glacier so we turned back fairly early but the day was far from a write-off. It was so amazing just skiing through the tall timber all covered in snow. I felt at one point like I was out looking for a Christmas tree and with all the fresh snow coverage being out here took me back to when I was a kid. That's all I needed, a good workout, chance to get away from my work and the busy life, and energize my emotions and spirit.
Which brings me to my favourite place as of late, somewhere I enjoy more and more. That place is NOW. That's right, the 'Here and Now' is what I'm talking about. I love spending time in this place, it is peaceful, secure, can't be taken away and is the only thing that is tangible. Sure the places I have been to and the things I have done are cool. And those things are important to me and who I am. Just like my ideas and dreams and goals are great too, I spend quite a bit of time there as well. However the only thing that matters is right NOW. You see the past is past and is just a nice memory. It can be sweet to look back on it and even still remember the tastes and touch but it can also hurt and continue to do so if you stay there. The future on the other hand hasn't arrived yet and as much as we like to imagine wonderful promises that it holds, it can also cause us a lot of anxiety if we spend too much time there. Worrying if things will happen good or not can not extend even one minute to our lives. So really the best place is here, right now. It's hard to say how big this place is or where it borders but as we move through time and space it is the only real thing we can be a part of.
That is why I am becoming so concious of this place and admire it so much. I used to move along in this place and most of the time my mind was in the past or in the future. Problem with this is that when there is something IMPORTANT flowing through (or bumping up against) this 'Here and Now', we need to be present to get the full experience from it. This to me is truly experiencing what God and His Creation have given us to be a part of. It's enjoying an amazing trip with a good friend, it is an intimate moment with someone you love, it is listening to your kid tell you about his day, it's about pushing your personal limits, and it's about changing your life. We all have it yet a good number of us don't spend time there. This place is paradise and this place is hell and it is everywhere in between. You can choose to spend time where ever you like, but 'Here and Now' is really all you can prove to me you have. Make sure you plan a trip there soon, you will be thankful you did.
