In the moment

I stopped to examine this old washed-up tree trunk (the one behind) as I always do when I pass this way. It's been beached here for many years and it's turned into a true microcosm as successive life forms have colonised it: lichens, mosses, fungi and a score of plants including grasses, brambles, honeysuckle,  sow thistle, cat's ear (flowering even!), dock, seabeet and more. I've no doubt there are quite a number of invertebrates in and under it too.

As I pored over it a woman of about my age stopped and enquired what I was looking at. I explained the wonders of the log and pointed out some of the species. 'And what are these shiny leaves?' she asked. 'Well' I said, 'that's sea beet, I'm planning to gather some further along the beach.' She seemed amazed and looked around pointing to more. 'Can I eat this? How do you cook it?'  After I'd advised her she thanked me for 'reminding her to be more in the moment'.

I was left thinking about this phrase (mantra?) which is often bandied about as a recommended practice. Seems it's what I've been doing all my life: being curious and noticing stuff, not minding too much that I may come across as a tad eccentric as I peer into crevices and crannies, bend down to examine faeces and corpses or crawli under hedges to reach something interesting on the other side. Seems I don't have to apologize or explain - I'm living in the moment!

Collage of log life in extra.