The Gift of the Present

The theory of Presentists is intriguing to me. According to the article we read on time, "Presentists suggest that necessarily only present objects and present experiences are real; and we conscious beings recognize this in the special "vividness" of our present experience." One might inquire that if this is true and the only real moment is “now”, how then, do we know that what we label as our “past” and “future” are not merely our own cognitive conceptions based solely upon the feelings bound to what we are currently experiencing. Although I do not necessarily agree with the presentist’s theory that the present is the only real time, I do think that it’s the most important. Maybe someday we will encounter the technology and knowledge that will allow us to travel back in time to fix mistakes, or into the future to assist us in making important decision, but until then, the present is the only time that we can control, and even then we only have control over our own actions, not other people, nature, or forces.

And why would one want to manipulate something that has already occurred or (in the future) is possibly the will of the universe, a god, or nature? Learning from the past is beneficial. That’s not to say that using records and predictions of former and latter day times is trivial. Observation and inquiry are categorically purposeful. Studying the past and present in order to derive new technologies and ideas to improve living conditions in the future are very practical. But my view is that while the mistakes, possibilities, and realities of before and after are most definitely significant and essential in any human’s life and the chance of improving it, the present is irreplaceable and should be cherished, savored, and never taken for granted. Everything we do has a consequence but everything we do also teaches us something; helps us grow. Therefore, attempting to “fix” mistakes in the past or “prevent” possible hardships in the future is almost inane to me. I don’t think that the past is worth trying to change or the future is worth worrying over to an extent that may cause one stress, doubt, or insecurities. I don’t think choices are worth trying to change because they show us who we are and even if they happen to be the “wrong” choice, consequences and lessons learned from them teach us about ourselves, situations, and life in general. I don’t think relationships are worth overanalyzing. It hurts to lose someone (whether physically or emotionally), but it’s inevitable. How many people can truly say that even though they are no longer with a lover, they’re content simply because there was a period in their life that they were happy with them? How hard is it to appreciate what we have and let go when the time comes? I honestly don’t think it has to be as hard as many people make it out to be. In my opinion, now is the only thing that's worth anything. We shouldn’t worry over what we’ve done if we’re happy now. We should always enjoy what we have in the moment because even though it might not be the only “real” thing, it’s the only thing we can be sure of now and in that sense, it’s all we have.

"To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go."
-Mary Oliver