If I fell in the woods and didn’t post about it, did it really happen?

“Pics or it didn’t happen” is my generation’s version of “if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” No one really says that first phrase anymore because MySpace is dead. Also, most of us are comfortably living with the belief that if we don’t show someone that it happened, then it likely didn’t.

The consequence of people not knowing what we’re up to is pretty terrifying: we just have to enjoy the moment alone, tuck it into our memories and hope we can recall it some day when we’re older and want to tell stories to our grandchildren. That means: no comments, no ❤ s, no little thumbs up or whatever other Facebook reaction your internet friend chose. It means that in a year, you won’t get an On This Day or TimeHop notification and you might actually just forget this little moment forever. DEAR GOD, THEN WHAT? HOW DID OUR PARENTS EVEN LIIIIIVE??

Ugh. Gross. I hate how real that question actually is.

Case in point: on Monday, I was enjoying a snowy walk in the woods adjacent to my aunt and uncle’s house in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As I followed the path with their dog, Tucker, I carried my DSLR in one hand and my iPhone in the other, determined to capture something beautiful so I could show everyone HOW GREAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING OK.

That’s right. I was walking through a forest with a happy pup on a beautiful, snowy Monday morning, when I would normally be sitting at a desk job contemplating faking a migraine so I could go home and watch Bob’s Burgers re-runs. And, instead of taking it in with all my senses, I was searching for the perfect Instagramable moment.

The header photo is what I ended up with.

During my search, I heard a crow caw loudly. Tucker stopped leaping around to lift one of his front paws and sniff the air. I smiled because my grandpa talks to the crows and I really love that about him. I decided to give it a go and I let out my best caw. The crow responded.

A delighted “Ha!” left my body and I closed my eyes to listen to what the world sounded like in that moment. I heard little song birds chatting, probably about how it’s time for spring, dammit. I heard the dog run off and I kept listening until the sound of my own heartbeat throbbed in my ears.

Then I fell over. Ass over tea kettle, as it were. No one pushed me. I just sort of tumbled from a normal, upright standing position.

I stood up, brushed myself off and noticed that I was blushing. I was embarrassed, but not because I’d fallen. Rather, it was WHY I fell: the gravity of the present moment was so powerful that it knocked me over.

After regaining my footing, I put my phone away and attached the lens cap on my camera and I just listened and looked around. I saw a lot of really beautiful things and had a great many thoughts that would make for great memes and high-performing social media posts.

But right now, I don’t remember them. I just remember that it took a crow and a disoriented tumble to get me back on my feet. When I take that in, I feel grateful and willing to fall as many times as it takes to remember that there’s a really beautiful world in front of me and all I need to do is pay fucking attention.

I’m currently on the road, traveling the U.S., teaching people how to get their lives in order by using movement, meditation and writing. You and your friends should come to one of my classes. Check out my tour schedule.