TIME

The river, surging course,

Uninterrupted current.

Headwater, channel, mouth.

Can they be divided?

Each day, we all face a peculiar problem. We must validate our past,

face our present, plan for the future.

Those who believe that life was better in the “old days” sometimes

are blind to the reality of the present; those who live only for the

present frequently have little regard for either precedent or

consequence; and those who live only for some deferred reward often

strain themselves with too much denial. Thinking of past, present, and

future is a useful conceptual technique, but ultimately they must be

appropriately balanced and joined.

We must understand how the past affects us, we should keep the

present full of rich and satisfying experiences, and we should devote

some energy each day to building for the future. Just as a river can be

said to have parts that cannot be clearly divided, so too should we

consider the whole of our time when deciding how to spend our lives.