Transitions Don't Exist

Probably one of the main illusions that get in the way of presence.

Transitions: the idea that the current moment doesn't count "for real," that it's only the passage to a future we're waiting for.

For example: the trip before the destination – by subway, by plane, on foot. It isn't a journey, not an experience, no: its only merit is getting us somewhere. Nothing good can happen, nothing deserves attention, apart from the bad surprises that will make us late.

The wait before an event – a meeting, an appointment, a moment we're looking forward to. It's already wasted time, where nothing interesting will happen. We're already in what comes next, in what's supposed to happen.

Because in reality, of course, these moments are just as much "the present" as any other.

They could be just as rich, just as vibrant, just as transformative.

All the more so since the destination is sometimes disappointing. Or never comes.

That's what I tell myself when I put my son in the car to hit the highway: "Our vacation together starts now." The drive is completely part of it.

Who knows? It might be the best part.