For the sake of self-consciousness, now seems like an eternity. Every sentient moment serves as a bridge to before and what comes next. For all beings, the present will one day only be the past and it won't be the past in our mind's eye, but the past for those living in their moments of the eternity of now.
Now -- this very moment -- both is vibrant and so utterly fragile. It can be filled with unbearable loss or indefinable joy. Sometimes, it can be both.
I'm sure many of the townsfolk in Fennville, Michigan understand this perspective better than most. In only a few brief moments of now, a wild celebration turned into untold agony. Pride turned into horror and a sense of togetherness quickly led to isolation.
In one of those moments, Wes Leonard was the star high school athlete who sank the winning basket to cap off an undefeated season for his team. The small school gym erupted in a festive atmosphere as fans whooped and hollered at their team's achievement. They looked forward to next week as their boys would begin their march through the playoffs.
But less than 10 seconds after the final horn, all that exuberance turned into a muted hush as Leonard collapsed on the gymnasium floor. Efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful and his 16 year old life was over. The grand victory of the now so young had turned into an immeasurable now of loss too raw.
It is sad to learn of a young man who will never grow into an old man. It is sad to know that so much potential will never be realized. All of Wes Leonard's nows have been frozen in time.
This life that we each embrace is fragile. At any moment, we too could have our nows frozen in eternity. This is why it is so important to be ever focused on each step we walk and each breath we take. We never know when we will run out of now.
Now -- this very moment -- both is vibrant and so utterly fragile. It can be filled with unbearable loss or indefinable joy. Sometimes, it can be both.
I'm sure many of the townsfolk in Fennville, Michigan understand this perspective better than most. In only a few brief moments of now, a wild celebration turned into untold agony. Pride turned into horror and a sense of togetherness quickly led to isolation.
In one of those moments, Wes Leonard was the star high school athlete who sank the winning basket to cap off an undefeated season for his team. The small school gym erupted in a festive atmosphere as fans whooped and hollered at their team's achievement. They looked forward to next week as their boys would begin their march through the playoffs.
But less than 10 seconds after the final horn, all that exuberance turned into a muted hush as Leonard collapsed on the gymnasium floor. Efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful and his 16 year old life was over. The grand victory of the now so young had turned into an immeasurable now of loss too raw.
It is sad to learn of a young man who will never grow into an old man. It is sad to know that so much potential will never be realized. All of Wes Leonard's nows have been frozen in time.
This life that we each embrace is fragile. At any moment, we too could have our nows frozen in eternity. This is why it is so important to be ever focused on each step we walk and each breath we take. We never know when we will run out of now.
Such beautiful writing. You captured the true essence of this tragic event. Thank you. Your words touched me deeply.
ReplyDeleteFor the kid, at least he died at the top. He will surely be a legend now. Which is cold comfort for everyone else, of course; for them it is only a terrible tragedy.
ReplyDeleteQuite the well written post, though. "We never know when we will run out of now," ah, what a thing to say. Carpe Diem, eh?
Hmmm...but what would Chuang Tzu say about this?
ReplyDeleteI care not what Chuang-tzu would say of this, Trey said it quite well enough. I hadn't seen this story, but there are plenty of others similar to this every year around the world. Thanks for letting that boy's moment of glory shine a little farther.
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