Three events last month put me in a time warp: my 50th college reunion, a special gathering of classmates from high school and the deaths of two friends. In contrast to chronological time, which ticks along with steady disinterest even though it appears to speed up with each passing year, the time warp I experienced is kairotic (from the Greek, kairos) – an opportune moment filled with possibility and meaning.
At first glance the relationships from the reunions are anchored in the events of yesteryear and the persons we were at the time. However, the joy I found in reconnecting was not in going back to the past, but rather seeing that the relationships begun decades ago have become a springboard to what lies ahead.
The loss of the two friends with whom I have shared special times was a sad reminder of how quickly chromos ticks along and how important it is for us to seize the auspicious moment NOW. Inevitably, what lies ahead for us physically is decline, but as long as we are able, we have choice about the attitude we bring to the moment. One choice is to nurture those friendships that are grounded in common experiences. By choosing to renew and cultivate those connections, we go back to the future.
sacredlead 
The older I get, the less I know for sure. But I am reasonably confident that we humans share the capacity to remember (or to imagine) moments of ancient history, to revel in this moment, and to imagine what might happen in the long future. Do other animals have that capacity? Don’t know. But I do know that my life feels rich when I do take the long view, both past and future, and then live here now.
Thanks for everything, Bob.
Paul
“Both/and” is a good reminder, Paul. I love your use of “imagination” for the past and the future, and the phrase “revel in this moment” is a juicy call to action. Thanks for reading and adding to the exploration. Bob
Thank you, Bob, for giving me the opportunity to ponder the idea of presence, something I am so busy speaking about in yoga classes and at retreats, that I don’t always have the chance to hear the words and to take my own minute to listen or read another soul’s reminder to my own that THIS is the moment. Memories are precious, and dreams are so much fun, but we must live here and live now.
I am grateful for this contribution, Katie. I wonder how much our awareness of being present in and to the moment is related to our age and the commitments that occupy us at a given stage of life. Family raising, progression along a career and/or attention to those things about which we are most passionate demand and deserve a lot of our time and energy. As I have gotten older and left behind many of the concerns that occupied me earlier, I find it easier to make time to be present. I am certainly not very good at it yet and continue to learn to focus, open and receive, rather than impose, as has been my MO. I keep ruminating about the Buddhist teaching that the key sources of suffering are attachment and aversion. So difficult to let go of either, especially when preoccupation with chronos brings out the worst of both in me. Thanks for sharing this journey and continuing to inspire me with your practice, your teaching and of course your music.
Beautifully said, Bob. I smiled at the reference to kairos. It is a word and concept packed with meaning, and it is so seldom referred to. I’d love to hear you speak more on it.
Melanie
So good to hear from you, Melanie. I think you probably have more insight than I about the meaning of kairos. Wouldn’t shamanic portals be powerful examples? Sending love and light at this time of many transitions for you and your family. Bob
Thank you for this lovely reflection Bob. I was just talking with Jeff about serendipity and making one’s own meaning. So I forwarded it on to him. Bless you dear, these beautiful days of unfolding moments and the people we love are so very precious indeed!
Gratefully,
Anne
So good to hear from you, this day especially. Thinking of you and your family and the blessings we share from choices made long ago and ever since. Love…