How to make it past today, a primer

Life is an odd collection of things. Memories, dreams, anticipation, hopes, wishes, all swirling together to make the present bearable. There is a line from an old Sensational Alex Harvey Band “I only wish that I could see yesterday, the same way that I can see tomorrow.”* I’m not really sure what he meant, but I love that line. I know what it means to me. The past, our own personal history report, the book we have written, are writing, contains a lot of squandered opportunities, near misses, close but no cigar moments, and the future is filled with dreams, potential, a gold mine of possibilities. The past is flawed, tainted, uncomfortable, the future holds the promise of perfection. 

Of course, the present, which is always here, never leaves, follows us doggedly through life, is a perilous place. One false step and your future is sunk. Here is where the past shows it trues colors, its malignant, spiteful spirit. In the uncanny, haunting words of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, “Pray hard, but to pray with care, because the tears you are crying now are just your answered prayers.”** And even though I am not crying those words still send up a warning signal.  Everything we do today affects tomorrow. We have no way of knowing how. It is a mystery, it could be awful or it could be wonderful, but my advice is don’t get your hopes up.

So, I live in the present, trying to make the most of the minutes I have. Right now, for example, I am sitting on my deck, the sun is sinking into the horizon, the temperature is a fantastic seventy six degrees, and the hummingbirds are stopping by for a quick bite. And life seems seems pretty good. It is almost too good to be true.

I never think too much about the past, I have some wonderful memories that bring me comfort, make me smile. Plus, I have made my share, maybe more than my share, of mistakes. But, there is nothing I can do about those. I have the scars and lingering regret to remind me, to steer me toward better choices. Which is the best I can do.

But, the future, that is where the magic lives. That is the place I think about, that is the promised land. In five weeks, my lovely wife and I are waking early and going to Swapper’s Day in Johnstown. An odd collection of collectibles, antiques, knives, guns, bows and arrows and junk. It is something I look forward to every year. It is not a social event and most people would go once and think it was good enough, but it is something I love. The crowds, the variety, the unbelievable crushing weight of humanity. The incredible assortment of stuff for sale, though I hardly ever buy anything. For $5.00 each we get hours of entertainment, and a chance to look into another world. A small town world, deeply patriotic, profoundly religious, it is almost a scene from the past, the world I came from. It is part of my history, the world I knew, so I find some comfort in the rural feel and imagery, 

Five weeks after that we are off to Yellow Springs Street Fair, one of the best things to happen in Ohio. A one day fair with enough strangeness to make even the most jaded cynic smile. In the span of three blocks you will find the blues being played on a cigar box guitar, smooth jazz played on a tenor sax, and eighties rock being played by a guy wearing a horse head mask. The narrow, short streets are filled with vendors selling everything from handmade soap to tie dyed tshirts and dresses, incense to fresh produce, food vendors selling street tacos, grilled chicken, and fried everything. Yellow Springs is a unique town, home to a liberal arts college, filled with small, diverse shops, and Street Fair is the crown jewel. Everything you want to know about Yellow Springs is common knowledge at Street Fair.

To make Street Fair even better we are taking Friday off and spending the weekend at Buck Creek State Park. We have a small cabin reserved for Friday and Saturday night. Ohio does state parks very well, the cabins are comfortable, and far enough apart that you feel secluded. The lakes are perfect for kayaking, in most cases the lakes are so small othey don’t even allow boats with gas engines. It will be my wife, me, our kayaks, maybe a bottle of wine and some steaks for the grill. It is a scene from my future, the time we can escape when we want, and just enjoy our time together.

If you are willing to use your imagination the future is a wonderland. A place where magic fuses with potential in a kaleidoscope of enchanted imagery. We are forced by reality to live in the present, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it is too real and humans are creatures who need more, something to light the way through the dreary toil of daily existence. You don’t have to believe in magic, but you should believe that living the best you can today will make tomorrow a better place. And that is all I’m trying to say, so let’s close with one more lyrical quote, Bruce Springsteen, Better Days

“Every fool’s got reason for feeling sorry for himself

And turning his heart to stone,

Tonight this fools halfway to heaven and just a mile out of hell,

And I feel like I’m coming home.”

I’m not sure that is a completely appropriate passage, but I’m open to suggestions if you have something better.

There you go, the past, the present and the future, all in one post with musical references, and a love song by the Grateful Dead, a pretty good way to say goodbye to the weekend.

* Give My Compliments to the Chef

** Oh My Lord