Emily Crighton
Editor-in-Chief
Recently, I’ve been living my life in the form of countdowns — 33 days until graduation, 89 days until the wedding and 11 days until I find out how my job interview went — you get the idea. Anyone who spends time around me has been forced to put up with me yelling things like “GUESS HOW MANY DAYS UNTIL GRADUATION!?” almost. every. single. day. Sorry guys.
While I don’t think it’s bad to be excited for all the big things that are about to happen, lately I’ve been wondering if it’s kept me from living totally in the present.
What happens when all those things have come and gone? Do I set another countdown on my phone, and spend my time looking forward to that instead? I hope not.
This realization has forced me to slow things down a bit in my day-to-day life, though perhaps slow isn’t the right word. Days keep flying by at the speed of light whether I want them to or not. It’s caused me to take a step back and appreciate the weird, crazy life I’m living on a daily level instead of in the form of countdowns.
No, today is not my wedding day. It’s not graduation day either. Today will probably not be a day I remember for the rest of my life. That doesn’t keep it from being a beautiful day worth living in. Today I turned in a big project in one of my classes, had a job interview, had a blast in dance class and wrote this editorial with my little dog asleep against my knee.
Being present in everyday life is underrated. It’s easier to remember to be present on big, “kodak moment” days. You want to soak up every last moment and memory you can, because who knows if you’ll ever have a day this special again? Why should today be any different?
They say the day before your life changes is just like any other day. It’s the truth. We don’t know what tomorrow truly holds for us. We may have a set of plans, but that doesn’t mean that’s what is really going to happen.
The day I learned my dad had a stroke (which he did eventually recover from) was just like any other. Until it wasn’t. I was heading back to Pocatello from a visit home. I’d made it all the way to Burley when I took a phone call that sent me flying back to Boise in almost half the time it had taken me to head back.
Sometimes when I notice myself not being present I remind myself how quickly and without reason life can change. It makes me hug my loved ones a little tighter, run a little further and feel the sunshine of an ordinary day on my skin a little longer.
Life is busy, scary, hectic and flying right now. At least mine is…but that doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful.
I’m going to take a break from my handy dandy countdown app (much to the relief of those around me, I’m sure) and do my best to take things one day at a time, and I challenge you to consider doing the same.
