My day – Wednesday, July 30th – was full of “now.” Staying in the moment, living the moment – carefully listening to the clock ticking. Besides work – riding my bike – and working more, I hung out with some folks whom I enjoy to be around and I lived in the moment. All the while the clock was ticking.

As I waited for my friends around the town square in Dahlonega after dinner, a hearse passed and circled the square. Something of a farewell – at least that’s what the landmark sign touted as I read it (eerie). The hearse and the sign re-reminded me (as if I needed it) that every (!) second counts.

Nothing stops the clock. Nothing. It moves even when we’re not. Eventually we mentally move the clock forward – some of us fast-forwarding to moments we are not guaranteed to see or enjoy. Moments lived out in an imaginary world of fantasy. As I lived today I was more aware that all I have is now. This second. The next. Nothing more.

When reflecting upon that thought, it’s unsettling somehow. I suppose the acknowledgment feels as if I’m acquiescing to a doomed future. Shortened because I’m giving into the acceptance that life is short. Yet, life is oh so short. Blink and a month is gone. Blink again and a year passes. Blink one more time and we’ve moved through a decade.

The bigger question – “does time fly?” No, it moves second by second. Granted, it was created by man to capsulize movement of the sun and moon — and for a bunch of other reasons. What matters is simply this: what we have is now. To quote Lance Armstrong, “every second counts.”  My own addition to the quote: Especially now.

Peace