Taste the Soup

Came across a very nice article on how to live in the present moment..............here it goes..........

When we were babies no one had to teach us how to live in the moment. There were toes to discover and sunbeams to play with. Only the present moment existed.
Then we grew up and many of us forgot how to stay fully present. We started remembering the past and rehearsing the future. Then if we were lucky, someone or some thing reminded us that life can only be lived in the here and now.
For some of us, it was something we read in a book or heard in a workshop or a church. For me, the "aha" moment happened while I was having lunch with my good friend, Walt Busby.
It was the seventies and I was Director of the Blood Supply at the new blood bank which I had helped organize in Gainesville, Florida. It was having growing pains and I was complaining to Walter about the boss, the stress, and being on call for emergencies. Then I launched into what was happening with my new boyfriend, my mother, my children.
We had both ordered cucumber soup, a first for me, and I barely noticed that Walter wasn't eating his. I was too busy going on and on about me, me, me. I was devouring the soup and talking non-stop between gulps.
I started to share my upcoming vacation plans when Walter gently interrupted me to say,
"I get so lonely when I take you to lunch."
I was stunned.
"What do you mean," I said, "I'm right here."
"No you're not. You're at the blood bank. You're with your boyfriend, your mother, and your kids. You're on your vacation. You're everywhere but here with me sharing this moment."
I felt like crying for some reason. I didn't know why. I told Walter I didn't know what that meant, "to be in the moment."
I was always remembering and reporting things that happened already or wondering about, rehearsing, and planning for the future. Nothing much seemed to happen in the moment. I will never forget his answer that changed my life.
"How's your soup?"
"My soup?"
Why was he asking me about my soup in the middle of our conversation? I thought for a second, and then answered truthfully, "I don't know."
"Taste it," he said.
I did, and almost gagged. It tasted awful!
"Yuk, that's the worst-tasting soup I've ever had. I can't eat that."
"I know," he smiled. "It's terrible. That's why I didn't eat mine. I watched you mindlessly eating a whole bowl of soup while you were so busy being somewhere else. I couldn't believe you actually liked the soup. You weren't paying any attention to it. That's what being here now is about. Taste the soup.”

by Patti Normandy Greenwood...

So true. .......During childhood, no one teaches on how to live in present. But as we grow we keep on forgetting this in the rat race to succeed..................

After a long time.........

Hi,
Thought of writing in the blog again. It has been long since I posted anything in the blog. I started this blog in March 2005 and today is Sep 19 2006. One and half years since I created first wrote in this blog.
So much to write. Lot many things happened. Life is full of incidents.
It is so good to have your own blog. This is like a diary where I can write my heart and brain.
Cool......................I am listening to soothing songs of Jagjit Singh sitting here at my home in Winston Salem. Home................doesn't sound like home...............Home reminds me of my family.....parents, brothers..............all together. Yes I can call it a house made of brick and wall.............brick.........I think wood...........
Writing in this dashboard is almost like writing a mail. This is real good.
OK. Let me try to write whatever the updates are in. In the earlier blog post, I think I had written some details. It has been almost 10 months since I came to US. Time has gone real fast. Time flies.............yes really.........So many things happened............

The life has become routine. Waking up at 8:08 AM. Finishing the daily chores and getting ready for the office. Reaching the office at 9:00 or sometimes at 9:15.......doing something on the black screen (yes the screen on which I work is black.............mainframe screen)......At around 6 returning to home......................at home having a cup of tea...........watching Kyunki Saas..........(with my wife.............u bet I didn't use to watch this earlier..............), Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai and Kahin to hoga........
Then orkut........

I will update more on daily happenings and any interesting event.....................