In the Moment

"I don't understand this 'Carpe Diem' thing", I said. "So, what else is new? If you understood something...anything...THAT would be worth telling." Yeah, I know and I know you are wondering why I keep giving people openings to take digs at me. But, then, the only way for me to avoid being the butt of such comments would be for me to say nothing at all. And that is certainly not an option. "But this 'Carpe Diem'. Don't tell me you understand it. The same guys who tell you to 'live in the moment' also tell you to plan for the future. Contradictory, I tell you." "That is what I would expect you to think. After all, you are the guy who never did understand that the effort you put into learning a subject had a direct impact on your grades." "You mean, it mattered? That if I had sat up and studied..." I took a look at his face and said hastily, "Leave it. It's not like I am going to improve any grades now by understanding it." "Yeah! Leave it", he muttered. "Knowing you, you'd then start reading up on the circulatory system and expect your BP to get under control because you spent hours reading that up." "Will it...Leave it. But this 'Carpe Diem' thing..." "Let me tell you in a way you will understand. Not that anything can make you understand but this is the simplest I can make it." Swallowing the whiny words that threatened to erupt from my throat, I looked at him expectantly. "Look, if you have an important meeting on Monday morning, do you binge drink on Sunday evening?" "Of course not! Cannot meet my boss with a hangover when I meet him for a performance review." "Ah! So THAT's the most important meeting you can think of." "What else..." I started when he shushed me with an abrupt gesture. "So then you plan to either binge on Saturday evening or limit your drinking on..." "Binge on Saturday!" "Yeah, thanks, just what I needed to know!" he said.  Was that a tinge of sarcasm...well, as he so likes to say, if it was, what else is new? "THAT is planning for the future." "I asked you about..." "I know. Carpe Diem. Live in the moment. So, tell me, when you ARE drinking on Saturday evening, are you worrying about the hangover you will have on Sunday morning? Or just savoring the moment?" "What's the point worrying about the hangover when you are drinking? If you were so worried about it, you would not drink, would you?" "And THAT is Carpe Diem! You plan for the future, fine. But you experience the present. If you only think about the tomorrow's consequences or what you lost compared to yesterday, is it of any use?" Hmmm. Put that way, it sort of made sense. Though, whether I will remember it tomorrow... Carpe Diem, buddy, carpe diem. Enjoy the fact that you understood it NOW!