There’s lots of philosophy about anticipation and expectation, and often these things are seen as negative, or distracting. Be Here Now expresses such a philosophy, and as far as it goes it can eliminate unproductive worry, releasing the mind from circular reasoning that accomplishes nothing.
Remembering the past and anticipating the future, however, is the way science works. Water flows at right angles to contour, and you may not be very productive trying to predict or worry about yesterday’s weather, but you can certainly dig a trench that will take future water where it can serve you best.
Life is really an ongoing learning experience that teaches us what to expect and how to prepare. The most fascinating part of the learning is that the more we learn, the more we know there is to learn and the less we actually know.
Bill used to say the older he got the less he knew, and I can see that in my own life as seemingly disconnected vistas suddenly reveal they are very much an integral part of the landscape in the immediate vicinity. Not only does that connection add to the unknown, but the details of the unobserved vistas as well.
I may not live in a tropical climate, but I can see elements of that occasionally in my own climate. Dry lands may be a long way from here, both in distance and rainfall, but understanding those dynamics can add greatly to the way I manage my own environment.
It is in fact reasonable to anticipate all eventualities to some extent when it comes to preparation. I would not expect a 3 year drought, but organizing my property to be prepared for one is always going to be a benefit, even if the drought never comes.
Today I hooked up the pump at the Lower Gully pond and started filling the water barrel at the greenhouse. As the barrel filled I used it as a water source for my main water supply and started irrigating everything. The promised rains have not come and the days are getting hotter, so the water is absolutely necessary to prevent failure of crops. That is the difference between having peppers and tomatoes or not.
Often at this time of year I would expect the weather to dry up, so reaping the benefit of all that saved water because of anticipation and preparation is a joyous thing. In fact it is every bit as much a spiritual experience as Being Here Now. In fact, I think I’ll go out and be here now in a world that is better because I took some time to remember the past and prepare for the future 🙂