We Don't Live Life Just to Remember It

L-R: Todd Long (brother of author), Kent Northcutt, Greg Northcutt (cousins of author), Author (ready for action)

You’re missing out on the little things, and you may not even know it.

When my best friend died at age 39, the speaker at his funeral said, "You may not remember much of what you did with Kent, but it’s okay—because it happened."

I did not know what that could mean but years later, while I wrote this book, I got it.

We don’t live life just to look back on it. The here and now ought to be fun. You may not remember it all, but while it’s happening, enjoy it. That requires fighting back against dopamine, because it’s always saying, nevermind what’s in front of you, think about what might be.

What were we doing in this photo? I have no idea. Getting ready for Christmas Eve dinner, I think, but the particulars are lost. I am certain, however, that those moments were joyful--but we were kids, so that was what we cared about. The trick, when you grow up, is to learn to be more like that again.

When Warren Zevon was at the end of his life, David Letterman asked him what he’d learned. Here’s what Warren said: Enjoy every sandwich.