Beginners Questions Regarding Buddhist Practice?

Hi. Buddhist practice is a way of life. You are not being asked to sit under a tree until enlightenment--that's why it's called the path of the middle way. Start from where you are already (you have already begun--good) and try to implement the material that sounds good to you into your life. Meditation is the practice of bringing your mind back to meditation when it wanders (that's all it is in the beginning). You will get better at it. The meaning of "living in the present is" means, basically, the same thing. It does not mean for you to ignore the past or future. If, anything, living in the present is asking you to evaluate the value of your expectations and if they are inconsistent with the Buddhist practices that you have already begun to practice then you might want to change your behavior somewhat in thought, word, and deed. Buddhist practice is also about (as stated in #2) experiencing immediacy--the stuff that matters is the stuff of immediate experience, but, again, that does not mean that you ignore the social sciences, or gravity, or a the fact that Buddhist practice can be understood conceptually but, if understood conceptually, that understanding will bring you back to "living in the moment." I hope this helps. Thanks for the question.