The place to be

I often wonder: where is the place to be? 

Is it in some faraway land? Is it where the majority gather? Is it in some mystical state of mind? Or is it down the road from your own house? 

To be honest, it can get quite disorientating listening to all the different opinions about where this magical place actually is. It seems like everyone has an answer, yet that answer is always shifting, adapting to whatever the circumstances they find themselves in.

But the one thing that has always stood out to me is that, wherever this so-called place is, it never seems to be where we find ourselves at any given moment.

It’s the place where, once we arrive, everything will miraculously fall into place. All our problems will disappear, and we will finally find peace and serenity within ourselves. It’s often seen as a physical location, somewhere external to us that we must actively pursue in order to attain.

But is this the case? Can we still find this place outside of the material world, or is it forever tied to a physical location in space and time?

Like with most answers: it depends.

Perhaps one could argue that the place to be is simply where everyone else is, for example, that popular spot in town, the famous tourist destination, some random concert, and so on. It’s the place that you shouldn’t miss out on if you find yourself in a particular location at a particular time.

But then again, what are you actually missing? Just because everyone is there doesn’t mean you have to follow along. In fact, the crowd itself could distract you from figuring out where the actual place to be is. After all, what if there was no one there? Would it still be the place to be? Or is it the presence of people that suddenly transforms it into a place?

I mean, it’s only natural for us to seek out community and want to share experiences with others, but it feels like this natural predisposition has been amplified by our increased exposure to the world around us.

At our fingertips, we are constantly shown where everyone else is, what they are doing, and what we might be missing out on. This enhanced perception of the world gives us the sense that the possibilities are endless. We could, paradoxically, be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. 

So how does any of this help us find the place? Does this place even exist? If anything, it makes the search even harder. If you can’t pin it down on a map, can you really call it a place at all?

But then I ponder: maybe it doesn’t have a physical location after all. Perhaps it isn’t somewhere we must go, because there is no final destination, so in that sense, perhaps we have already arrived at the place we need to be.

So where is that exactly? It’s right in front of us.

It’s at the very tipping point between the past and future. It’s where all the decisions we’ve made throughout our lives have led us. All the mistakes, the worries, the joys, the achievements, have brought us to this precious place we call the present moment. And it’s here, at this harmonious balancing point between the past and future, that perhaps we realise we’ve been there all along.

You’re probably wondering, “But how am I supposed to book a Ryanair flight to some made-up balancing point?” And you wouldn’t be wrong. This place isn’t tied down to any physical location. It could be in your room, on the road, waiting for a bus, or on some luxurious island. It doesn’t matter where you are. The place itself is indifferent; it’s not where you find yourself physically that matters, but whether you are truly present in the moment you find yourself in.

Take for example whenever you find yourself on the way to an event with a specific end goal, whether that be going to a concert, or a football match, or even a dinner. Basically, any event that requires you to physically be at a given location at a given time. Notice how your actions, and everyone else’s, become orientated towards reaching that destination.

At that point, take a step back and become aware of your surroundings. It doesn’t have to be a physical step, but also a mental one too. Notice the hastiness, the rushing, the shoving, the collective drive to get to the destination. Then, as you do so, slowly surrender to the moment and discover the harmony of the present.

And it’s there, amidst the chaos, that you can say you’ve already arrived at the place to be.

Le grá.