minute intermission

I feel like so often our culture is going to fast, or more accurately we are moving ourselves along too fast. We've got time-saving devices but fill that time with even more activities. We work more hours than ever before, and therefore try to cram compensation into short vacations that are difficult to relish because we're not practiced at being slow. We're connected to the whole world more and more all the time - cell phone calls from 3000 miles away while we walk down the sidewalk, cable that brings us more images than ever at faster speeds, internet news about events worldwide and even out in the universe. We're plugged in and turned on, tuned in to what is being broadcast. It's a fast-paced, high tech life that can carry us away if we let it.

I think being able to slow down is a virtue. I think in slowing down, we can see ourselves and the world around us more clearly. When we're in a hurry, we are simply unable to take in the same level of detail that we can if we slow down. We get wrapped up in our own narrow, self-justifying ideas about what is important in our lives and focus on them with less and less skepticism or curiosity about alternatives.

What do I mean by slowing down? Taking time to just be - sitting with a cup of tea, standing and looking at the moon for a while, making sure to have enough free time each day to feel balanced, taking a few moments to consider our food before we eat, sitting on a Saturday afternoon in the sun wondering what it will be like to grow old and die, walking on a short errand rather than driving, just sitting with a loved one to listen deeply to what she has to say. It's tough to slow down, especially in our culture. Everyone else seems to be going fast, getting things done, moving on to the next thing, multitasking - and if they're not, maybe they look like they're getting behind in the game while others get ahead. It's possible that we will fall behind in the rat race if we slow down, but I think there are many advantages to slowing down in life and making more space for reflection. I think there's a lot of evidence that we are healthier, smarter, well-rested, and more satisfied if we just take a little time to slip back into first gear and look around.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by me. Nothing eloquent, just some thoughts while I sit on the corner watching things and wondering :-)