the hammock in between

“There are two words that are under-recognized: ‘over’ and ‘next.’ When something is over, it’s over. And we’re always on to ‘next.’ And the hammock, the imaginary hammock in the middle, is what I think is meant by living in the moment.”
– Norman Lear

Sometimes a life chapter ends abruptly with a graduation, a move out of a home, or the end of a job. And sometimes a new life chapter begins just as abruptly with the birth of a child, an epiphany, or a wedding. Often, though, we don’t recognize a chapter beginning or ending until time passes. “My life changed after [insert event] happened, but I didn’t realize it at the time.”

This imaginary hammock appeals to me. Being somewhere in between an “over” and a “next,” I appreciate that I can rest here for a bit, hanging in space between the past and the future.

Are you hanging in the present moment?