Then seems like a long time ago. But in reality, then was then's now. And what I think of as now's now will soon be now's then.
If that's hard to understand, consider this: tomorrow is also today's then, as in, then we will eat strawberries. The strawberries that we will eat then were planted then. So the moment at which the strawberries are eaten is the same moment at which the strawberries are planted. Both occur then.
It is conceivable that we could eat the strawberries now, but that is very hard, because now goes by so quickly. Think about it. I'm going to say, "now" and you yell out if I said it now or then. Ready?
"Now." Too late. you missed it. It is already then.
Maybe I'll say now again in the other then, the one that hasn't happened yet. We'll know soon, because soon is also then. Soon is the coming then, the one that for a blink of an eye will be now before it once again becomes then, but now the other then, the one that extends all the way back to the big bang. That's the very beginning of then. Before then, there was no then, and there would be no soon. In fact, before the big bang there was only now, an eternal now that stretched forever in every direction.
But that's not really true, because before the big bang there was no before. There was only now.
Sometimes this can drive you crazy. But sometimes it comes in handy. As in when you are asked, "Can you take out the garbage now? Too late! I missed it. Next time.
Spiritual questions:
- What should you really be doing now?
- Why are you waiting? You don't have much time.
This is one of the Parables for the Spiritual but not Religious Series.
April 18, 2018 - This was written at the Roundhouse Writing Group, Santa Cruz, Guatemala. The writing prompt for the session was: Write about then and now.
The painting is The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí
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