陈一帆 上海外国语大学
Liveeveryminutefully

Thelyricgoes: “Fivehundredtwenty-fivethousandsixhundredminutes, howdoyoumeasure-measureayear?” Fivehundredtwenty-fivethousandsixhundredisthenumberofminutesinayear, andmultiplylike20.8 ismylife.

IwaswritingmyCVrecently, alistofawards, achievementsandactivitiesthatIassumecouldmeasuremylifeandvalue. Nowweareallbusyfindingwaystogoon, lookingforjobs, goingformasters. Andourlifeishauntedbythequestions, whathaveyouachievedinthepastandwhatyouwanttodointhefuture? Buthereismyquerywhereistheword“now”?

Thereasonforustostudyistogetadegreeandthereasontogetajobistomakemoney. Ourlifeisoccupiedbytheexpectationofthefuturefruitsthatmaygrowonthetreeintheautumn. Butwhenthefruitsfailtocome, wefeelfrustrated; whenthefruitsdidcome, wefeelcheated, foritisnotassweetaswethought. Tooobsessedarewewiththefuturethatweneverhavetoday. Toogreedyareweonfruitsthatwemisstheflower, theleavesandalltheseasons. Wemissedlife.

Lifeisnotacheck-listofacquisitionorachievement. AndourCVsarenotourlife. Thepassionoflifeisnotinthewaitingofthefinalfruits, butineveryminuteofseedingandwateringthetree, smellingandappreciatingtheflower, andthenfinallywecantastethesweetnessofthefruit.

Andthetasteofjoyisapartoflifeandtoshedtearsisanotherpart. Livingfullythepresentcannotdenyanydifficultiesandcomplexityinourlife. Thereisthedarktunnelthatappearsinthelifejourney. Theremaybethetimethatwefearwecannevergothroughittoseethelight. Thenconfrontthefearinthemoment, andletitallin. IfIwanttocry, Icry, lettheemotionwashmeup, andthenwhenIdry, Icangoon. Beingfullypresentalsotothesorrows, frustrationsandhardtimesandwewillfindourselvesthetorchinthedark.

Onceaneducationalistsaid, athreeyearoldisnothalfasixyearold. Hislifeisnotapreparationforthesixyearoldhewillbecome. Andus, thetwenty-oldisnothalftheforty-yearold, thesociallygoodtimingofachievingourdreams. Andthefortyyearoldisnothalfwaytothefinaldestination. Thisminuteisourmoment, whysellittothefuture?

Seizetheday. Yesterdayishistory. Tomorrowismystery. Todayisagiftthat'swhywecallitpresent. Myfellowpeers, believeinourselvesthatwecanreallyliveeveryday, everyminutethroughthehappinessandsorrows, throughtheflowersandthefruitsandthroughthepeaksandtunnels. Andtoourformergenerations, believeinusasmuchaswebelieveinyouthatwecanliveuptothisdream.
Thoreauwrote: “IwenttothewoodsbecauseIwantedtolivedeliberately. Iwantedtolivedeepandsuckoutallthemarrowoflife. Toputtoroutallthatwasnotlife. Andnot, whenIcametodie, discoverthatIhadnotlived.”

Lifeisnottobemeasured, buttobelived. 525,600 dropsofdreamsformsthisstreamofourlife.