Being Present
As I looked around, I immediately saw the two flags of the little league teams playing that hung on the fence near each dugout. I looked into the outfield, and I saw my wife and two youngest children playing with a water bottle. That image will forever be engrained into my mind as it was a nice reminder of how lucky I truly am. I turned around and saw the wind blowing up dirt just before my son’s team took the field. Then I looked down and saw chewed up sunflower seeds mixed in with the grass. I smiled because those sunflower seeds are analogous to baseball, I looked up and saw the beautiful architecture of Defer Elementary School as a stunning backdrop to the baseball diamonds.
It was a hot early summer evening and I felt the sweat running down my back. It was a nice cooling feeling under the black t-shirt as I baked in the sun. I also felt the small rocks and dirt from the baseball field that made it’s way into my shoes. I also could feel the leather of my baseball mitt on my hand. It’s the same mitt I had in high school and those memories came rushing back. And I felt my silver necklace around my neck that holds a dog tag with my father’s fingerprint. He feels even closer to me while I am with my son on that baseball diamond.
I could hear the crowds cheer for an amazing triple that was hit by one of our players. It gave me goosebumps to hear the excitement from the parents. I could hear the sounds of birds in the distance near a cluster of trees. And I could hear the sounds of the players on the bench cheering on their teammate who was up to bat. “We are the Giants, the mighty mighty Giants!” I got pumped up again just writing that!
I could smell the the sumscreams (how my daughter says sunscreen) that I put on just before the game. And I could smell the grass, that appeared to have been recently cut. I am not sure there is a better smell to me than fresh cut grass while playing ball.
And I could taste the the Dubble Bubble gum that had already lost it’s flavor. I stole it out of my son’s baseball bag just before the game. It had little to no flavor, but you just feel like a ballplayer chewing that big glob of pink gum.
It was the first time in a long time I was present. I mean truly present in the moment. I did not have my phone with me. I was not worried about something that occurred at work. I had no anxiety about upcoming work issues. I was not focused on the bills that we need to pay. I could have not cared less about other responsibilities outside of that moment. I was actually present, in the moment, and enjoying that moment only. It felt like a freedom that I had lost.
What I did above is a common grounding technique therapists use in sessions. It’s purpose is to have a person focus on what is going on in the moment. We have them focus on 5 things they can see, 4 things that they can touch or feel, 3 things that they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing that they can taste. It requires the person to become aware of the present moment and it can be very difficult to do.
We oftentimes are so focused on things that have happened in the past or what might occur in the future. It causes us to lose sight of the current moment. It can cause us to develop irrational fears or anxiety that may feel so persistent and pervasive. It can also cause us to miss such beautiful life moments even if we are physically present. I challenge you to take a moment out of your day to become aware of the current moment you find yourself in. Be aware of your surroundings. It takes a lot of effort, but I assure you when you truly realize that moment of being present, it feels great. And you will want to do it more. Take that first step and regain control!
