Epiphany

We spend our lives looking forward to events (such as vacations and celebrations and getaways and such).

And those days come. And they go. And then we're left hanging on to warm and fuzzy memories that embrace us.

At least this is true for me. So, does that mean I'm not really living in the moment?

I wonder.....

Though as I cast my eyes back over the hundreds and hundreds of photos I snapped on our adventure, I can recall those moments as if they're unfolding again......right now.

I look at this image, and I'm walking through a farmer's market in the pouring rain, surveying the fresh fruit and vegetables and flowers for the wedding.....

Now I'm heading into the extraordinary cheese shop where the proprietor slices of little chunks of exotic cheeses for us to sample. And when we inquire about the history of the cheese, he asks if we want the romantic story or the truth. We want the romantic story every time....

I look at this photograph and I can vividly remember standing in the cold Atlantic. As I mentioned before, I am not usually one to go barefoot anywhere, least of all on a beach. I find the feeling of sand on the bottoms of my feet overwhelming, like I'm going to be swallowed by sensation.

But I look at this photo and I'm back in the moment and the water is rushing over my feet and the iciness of it takes my breath away.

Does this mean I'm simply living in the past? Or am I reliving the moment? I don't actually know....

Does everyone experience life this way? Are our memories entirely mediated by images we've shot and souvenirs we've purchased? Do they serve to snap us back into the moment or are we simply re-creating and re-imagining our experience?