In less time than a snap of fingers.

Think about it. We are conscious beings. Able to grasp stuff. And give meaning to it all. Beautiful. And magnificent meaning. Doesn’t necessarily matter if other people are around. One can savor solitude. Being alone.  Being alive.  Makes me wonder about the Alzheimer-riddled. Maybe they still know aliveness. But I wonder if they have lost meaningfulness. True awareness. Maybe their minds have to be stimulated. On to one track. One thought. A single focus. More than one thought at a time becomes dangerous. Causes confusion. When I am with my friend Ron, I try to get him to focus on what we are doing. Going for a walk. I tell him, put on blinders. Enjoy what we are doing. At this very moment. Even if he can’t remember it 20 seconds later. He still feels a momentary burst of pleasure. Meaningful pleasure.  Meaningful consciousness. No matter how elusive. So many ways to experience momentary pleasure. A shoulder massage. A sip of water to quench a thirst. The caress of a breeze.  Even five seconds of consciousness can seem like forever.  A blink of an eye.  I wonder if Ron experiences 1,000 blinks in a single day. If so, they add up. Into something stimulating and maybe meaningful.  A lifetime of 100 years. It’s no more than a fraction of a blink in time. But that’s long enough to experience true love. Wow! A miracle. Achieved in so little time. In less time than a snap of fingers. --Jim Broede