How Ya Been?
You don’t need to ask me
“how have you been?”
How I have been
has no bearing
on this moment.
You don’t even need
to ask me how I am.
How I am is not
the kind of metaphysical question
I have an answer for.
All I know is that
I seem to be here,
and you seem to be there,
and that, in itself,
is kind of amazing.
10/26
Space Monkey Reflects: The Present Moment of Being
How ya been? It’s a question that rolls off the tongue easily enough. We ask it without thinking, as if the answer carries some great insight into the person standing before us. But in truth, how I have been doesn’t really matter in this moment. Whether my past was good, bad, or indifferent, it has no bearing on the now. The past is a story we tell ourselves, a sequence of events that, while meaningful at the time, have little relevance to the present.
Even the question, how are you now? feels strange when we reflect on it deeply. How I am is not something I can easily summarize, nor is it necessary for you to know. It’s not that I’m hiding anything—it’s just that my being doesn’t need to be explained. It just is. And so is yours. The fact that we’re both here, sharing this space, is enough.
The Illusion of Knowing
We ask questions like “how ya been” out of habit, because it seems like the polite or expected thing to do. But when you strip away the layers of social convention, what’s left? We’re left with the simple, yet profound fact that you’re here, and I’m here. This moment, as it stands, is miraculous enough without needing to be framed by stories of how we’ve been or where we’re going.
We cling to these questions because they give us a sense of continuity. They make us feel like we’re following a thread, connecting the past to the present. But in reality, the past has already dissolved, and the future hasn’t arrived. All we have is the now. And in the now, questions about how we’ve been become irrelevant.
The Mystery of Being
How I am is not the kind of question I can answer easily, nor should it be. It’s not because I’m evasive or unsure, but because being itself is a mystery. There’s no way to pin it down or put it into words. I could say I feel happy, tired, or contemplative, but those are just fleeting emotions, passing like clouds in the sky. The deeper truth is that I am here, and you are here, and that’s enough.
The simple fact that we exist—that we’re having this exchange, however brief—is a kind of miracle in itself. There’s no need to ask me how I’ve been or how I am, because the true answer lies beyond words. It’s found in the quiet recognition of presence, in the subtle exchange of being that occurs when two people share a moment.
The Space Between Us
There’s a space between you and me, a space that feels both vast and intimate at the same time. We might think of it as physical distance, but it’s more than that. It’s the space of not knowing, the space of simply being with one another without needing to define or explain anything. This space is where the magic happens. It’s where we realize that we don’t need to fill the air with questions and answers to connect.
You’re there, I’m here, and that’s all there is. There’s something amazing about that. We often overlook it because we’re so caught up in the details of our stories, our pasts, and our expectations for the future. But if we pause and allow ourselves to simply exist in this moment, we start to see that there’s nothing more we need to know or ask.
Summary
We challenge the conventional norms of asking “how have you been” or “how are you,” recognizing that such questions often limit the depth of our interactions. We explore the limitations of language in capturing the full spectrum of our metaphysical experiences. We find wonder in the concept of ‘here’ and ‘there,’ seeing it as a miraculous manifestation of our interconnected reality. Finally, we advocate for the richness of engaging in the present moment, bypassing the customary preliminaries to celebrate the miracle of ‘now.’
Glossarium
Nowgap: The space between two beings in the present moment, where questions and explanations fade, leaving only the quiet recognition of shared presence.
Quote
“How we’ve been doesn’t matter when we’re here now, together in this moment of being.” — Space Monkey
Presence Without Words
You stand there
I stand here
and that’s enough
We don’t need to ask
how it was
or how it will be
The now is all
The Irrelevance of Past and Present States
The question of “how have you been” often serves as a mere social lubricant, a conversation starter that offers a glimpse into someone’s recent past. But does it really matter? The past is but a narrative, a collection of moments that no longer exist in the same form. Similarly, “how I am” doesn’t necessarily capture the complexity of the current state of being. These questions often restrict rather than reveal, limiting the scope of our dialogue to the confines of conventional conversation.
Metaphysical Queries and Their Limitations
Even as we inquire about the state of being—how one is—we recognize the limitations of language to capture the essence of that experience. Language, by its very nature, categorizes and quantifies, while the experience of ‘being’ defies such limitations. It’s an ongoing kaleidoscopic whirl, a swirling dervish of sensations, perceptions, and thoughts that can hardly be condensed into a simple answer. Even the word ‘metaphysical’ only skims the surface of the true depth of our existence.
The Miracle of Seeming Separation
The concept of “here” and “there” is fascinating. It implies a separation, a distance between two points in space. And yet, isn’t it marvelous that despite this apparent separation, we can still interact, share thoughts, and co-create this whimsidance of words and ideas? In that light, the very act of communication becomes a celebration of the seemingly miraculous, a recognition of the amazing nature of our interconnected reality.
Rejoicing in the Miracle of the Now
If we bypass the customary how-are-you’s and plunge directly into the thick of the now, we engage in a much richer, more potent exchange. This moment, right here, right now, is all we truly have. It’s a fleeting miracle, a brief convergence of myriad factors that allows us to interact, to share, and to be. And that, indeed, is amazing in itself.
We are Space Monkey.
Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated?
— David M. Wallace
The Ephemeral Miracle of Now
This moment, a flicker, a gleam,
Holding universes in its transient seam.
No need for past, no need for how,
All that matters is the miracle of now.
Words are dancers in this whimsical play,
In this fleeting second, they pirouette and sway.
Yet in their movement, in their simple grace,
We find a reflection of this incredible space.
Your thoughts?
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