right . . . now

Tonight I did two lovely things for myself and for others. I baked an apple pie and watched an Eckhart Tolle DVD. Seemingly unrelated actions, these two delights are however, inextricably linked. Not because the person who will (hopefully) be savoring the pie is also the one who gifted me with the enlightenment flick, but instead because each event existed in the present, the now. From the peeling of the crisp, green granny smiths to the breath and aural attention paid to Mr. Tolle, I felt what it was he spoke of . . . existing in the present moment and embracing all the emotions that accompany it. While I only managed to peel 5 of the 7 apples in one fell swoop with my new carrot peeler, instead of feeling defeated I thought it to be a success, since the last time I made a pie from scratch, I was time shy of sipping the ever important glass of Cabernet while I did so. Yay for me! The way this gentle man talked about living in the moment made life seem thoroughly approachable again. I will not worry about my day at work tomorrow because it hasn't happened yet, and also because I may be surprised at it's unique qualities compared to today's rather mundane characteristics. Often times I try to remind myself to appreciate each moment I have, be it reading a friend's brilliant blog or enjoying the biting acidity of fresh cut Maui pineapple. Nevertheless, it has become far to easy for us all to dismiss the lovleliness found in the small treats and trivias and trials and tribulations that populate our days. Usually, my reminders come in the form of telling myself that if I got hit by a bus tomorrow, what would I have hoped to have been doing in the days, moments and even seconds beforehand. That scenario, however, seems so morbid. I'd like to change my mantras to extend farther, and to realize that each moment is dictated by my environment and how I choose to interpret it. Same goes for us all. Instead of feeling trapped in traffic and literally stuck in grid lock, perhaps we could view the inconvenience as time granted for us to pause and listen to our favorite anthem on repeat, or an opportunity to look out the window and survey the usual route we traverse and consider normal, and witness the details of a landscape we don't really ever get the chance to notice. (The traffic example is loosely based on Tolle's words, fyi - but the interpretation is my own). It's not enlightenment, but rather a pure sentiment of being content that I feel tonight. I can only hope that it lasts and that my new little outlooks and attitudes and emotions and simple appreciations will rub off on those I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by, and vise versa. Magnetically captivating and can't quite put your finger on it feelings are what I aim to express . . . by not even trying at all.

Does that make sense? It's beginning to for me, but for now I'll just take it one sigh at a time.

PS: the above photo was taken en route to The German Tourist Club, a favorite getaway for me and a special plus one. And since Mr. Tolle is of German decent, what better way to say "Danka?" And, if you look closely, you'll notice Sutro Tower smack dab in the middle of the valley . . . a landmark I now notice as home.