Word Meds: Is Living in the Moment Totally Overrated?

"Some people in my life don't want me to zone out so much. They want me to be in the moment... Don't bother. The moment is mediocre at best." —John Mulaney

If you've been following Crunch Time Word Meds over the past few weeks, you know I've been obsessed with "the moment." Being in it, or not being in it, and trying to stay present, and struggling to fight off all the constant distractions that keep us from noticing what's going on right this second. And so on. So let's switch it up this week, shall we?

My husband and I were watching "Night of Too Many Stars," the John Stewart-hosted comedy special and autism benefit on HBO. The special, most of it anyway, is hilarious, and it helps fund an outstanding cause too. The show also introduced me to the very funny John Mulaney, a stand-up comedian whose credits include SNL and The Comeback Kid. During his comedy bit on the HBO special, Mulaney went on about this whole "living in the moment" business. And he blew a huge hole in the idea that we should all be trying desperately to live in the moment at all times. His was a badly needed, albeit tongue-in-cheek, contrarian view on this subject, since I've been beating myself up for constantly failing to grab the moment before it flies away, again and again. Have you?

Anyway I'm still trying to LIVE IN THE MOMENT, damn it. But meanwhile, here's a little more of Mulaney's you're-off-the-hook bit: 

"All day long I wander into traffic walking like Charlie Chaplin, listening to a podcast while thinking about a different podcast... Let's all try right now. Let's all be in the moment in silence right now. Sucked, right? That was boring. You've got to zone out. You have an imagination. You have a movie theater in your brain that plays fake arguments that you win."

For more from Mulaney and a huge A-list roster of comedians including John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Sarah Silverman, Samantha Bee, Billy Crystal, and dozens of others, check out the HBO special, and find out how to donate to excellent autism programs that need everyone's support.

Photo by Eric Nopanen via Unsplash.