Wednesday, June 29, 2011

In a moment or in the moment, what’s it going to be?

In today’s terms “a moment” confirms an associated task is in our work queue and will soon receive attention, blah, blah, blah. How unfortunate.

The notion of a moment being the present is passé. Our multi-tasking, future-oriented culture makes the present an afterthought, if it considered at all.

We all do this. We’re practically forced to. If we don’t, we’re left behind. Write, “Lives in the moment,” as a skill set on a resume? Don’t expect that phone to ring.

Let’s face it, the abandonment of the moment is self-inflicted Time Abuse. It's truly wearing down our somatic and mental health. It is becoming a social disease.

Given this, I’ve been reflecting. When do I truly experience the moment? When are my mind and body at peace? This is critical to learn and teach my daughters.

Yoga classes put me there – but I’ve been neglecting attendance. The Rocky Mountain high country puts me in the moment – but I’m only there about two weeks out of the year. Gardening sometimes gets me there. No doubt; I need more paths to the present. We all do.

I realized thrift shopping puts me in the moment. Really. After paying bills (in this economy) with paper bag in hand to prevent hyperventilation, I often rush to the neighborhood thrift, a few blocks from our home. As of late, these visits are bordering on daily. Odd thing to do, go to a store when you’re worried about money.

I hadn’t really thought about the recent increase in trips to the thrift. Slowly strolling along side the long racks of dresses, skirts, blouses, or shorts with Snake Eyes fosters the moment. I am focused, attuned to one task, the environment, my emotions and body. The store staff is scratching their heads in wonderment as to why I want to be there so often. I understand their questioning my sanity. Occasionally volunteering there has taught me it’s rough work. I lost two toenails because I wore the wrong shoes when volunteering. Really, I did.

My hands might be empty upon leaving the store, but I walk in peace and there is no price tag for that.

Possibilities are exposed and hard to ignore in the thrift store. Walk in with no prediction, Psychic Shopping, and a vital curiosity of what could be? I promise things will happen. Maybe it’s new-agey stuff. Perhaps James Redfield should have included “Shop Thrift” as one of his insights in The Celestine Prophecy.

If I take something home, it rivals the cost of a cup of coffee, not a monthly cell phone bill so no Retail Remorse.

Yesterday I was in need of escape. How completely WRONG is it to write that I needed to escape to the moment?

Not only was my mind set at peace, but I walked out with beautiful quality clothing for my growing daughter that will ensure she enters high school in style and I won’t need to cash out her college savings to pay for it. I also was rewarded with a 1940’s 16mm film projector in mint condition that is worth about at least 10 times what I paid for it (two times my Flinch Point). As a result, we’re preparing to host weekly summer vintage film fests in the backyard for friends to attend. Sure, we could use as laptop projector and watch DVD’s but there’s something about the ticking of the projector that makes for an unforgettable ambiance.

Maybe our vintage film fest will help our community live in the moment at least one night a week. When in search of something life changing, we all begin with baby steps.

Please, help us all. What puts you in the moment?

12 comments:

Rebekah @ reclaimed riches said...

I've always wanted to have a vintage movie night in our yard. We finally did it...but had issues with the sound and the sun not setting fast enough and well, the heat! BUT, I love the idea and in my perfect little world vintage movie night would be a weekly tradition. Thanks for sharing your inspiration.

Shopping Golightly said...

Rebekah,

We are in luck. Our back yard is in the east and nights on the high desert plains of Denver are wonderful to be outside.

KDbeads said...

What puts me in the moment? Hmmm.... Sitting and watching the chickens scratch around in the run works wonders. They aren't worried about what to cook for dinner or what needs to be picked up at the store next grocery trip or what bill needs to be paid or what needs to be done to put in a garden. No, they are scratching around without a care in the world. Except maybe who's taking their time in the favorite nest box, doesn't matter if there are more nest boxes available.

Shopping Golightly said...

KDbeads,

Kinda puts a new meaning of playing chicken, no?

I've a routine I do for Mr. Golightly. The real zebra, chills after the lion is gone and gets back to life. If humans were zebras it'd go something like this, "OMG! That lion! You see it? It almost got me! I'm exhuasted! I almost died! She's coming back I know she is! She'll catch me. I know she will. I'm so toast. I can't believe that just happened! I'm not safe. There's nowhere to hide. What am I to do now?"

We've lost are ability to appreciate the moment. It seems we do a very poor job of letting go of past and future.

Ah the Zen in being a chicken and scratching for rocks.

Elizabeth B said...

Preach it, sister! It's so true; we can find ways to live in the moment, but our entire society seems to be predicated on NOT doing it.

(Psst... One of the headers on the left reads CLOTHONG & ACCESSORIES instead of CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES.)

Shopping Golightly said...

Thanks Elizabeth,

Creating those new slide shows was eye crossing. The typos do flood past 10PM.

Anonymous said...

Spending time with my kids puts me in the moment because I know this time won't last forever! Great post, as always.

Jill said...

Being in the San Bernadino mountains puts me in the moment. My stress level drops, and peace reigns, 1 1/2 hours from Los Angeles.

Shelley said...

Writing, sewing, photographing, gardening, crafting, cooking. Anything I do with my own hands makes me feel more at peace and makes me feel more self-sufficient. I am in the moment when I grocery shop because I'm paying attention to prices. When I am able to find bargain prices and stock up that also gives me some peace of mind. I think thrift store shopping reminds us that we are likely always to be able to afford to dress well, so long as we are discerning. In the face of rising prices, that is a comfort. Not, I might add, that prices in charity shops aren't rising as well. Then I shift to re-considering what I already own and what else I can do with it. In the end it's always my own creativity that gives me confidence.

Unknown said...

great reminder, thank you :)

Beth said...

Your thrifty excursions are both part of your method (of finding splendiferous treasures) and your blog commitment. Still, as you've touched on in the past, shopping for shopping sake can be a slippery slope. At least I've found it so. There's something about that drive to acquire...
The library fits the bill for me. My requests list always hovers in the 30s, because I add to it frequently as I hear about books I want to read or test drive before buying. It's a great feeling to know I can have anything I want as I browse, and I NEVER leave empty handed.

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