If you are not RUSHING
somewhere-
You are not a good American.
Last week I wrote about online dating and being content
where you are. That got me thinking
about rushing through life, always wanting to get to the next event, or the
next stage of your life. This is kind of
how I have lived my life, until recently when I realized that at my age, if I keep up this pace of rushing toward the next event – that event
might be my funeral! YIKES!
Slow down... Smell the roses...
We Americans have such a hard time with this concept. If we are not working/rushing/going/coming--
we are not somehow “worthy”. The most admired people in our culture are the
ones who do things
FAST, FURIOUS, and FRENETIC.
SLOW AND DELIBERATE is no good.
I have never watched those "fast and furious" movies, but I know lots of good Americans love them... including my hunny:) many people watch them, otherwise how do we have 5 of them?
The commercials about the BEST 4G phones where it is DONE-
before you say it -crack me up.
see that here:
What in
the Cat Hair is America coming to?
How different mindsets are in other cultures. In Papua New Guinea, where we lived for four
years, the most important thing you did
daily was sit and talk. Although these
people do work hard, I observed no one there rushing through life. “Rushing” is NOT a positive value in many other
cultures.
 |
| Ruth and I in PNG, hanging out, just talking:) |
It would seem in America “road rage” is a product
of our lives being too busy, and rushing to the next event. To our shame, I think we all feel the
pressure, and many times are a little MORE than irritated at that pokey driver
in front of you, driving the speed limit, or even 5 miles below it? HORRORS!
Everyone knows you have to drive at least 10 miles over the
limit.....
Say what?
What in the Cat Hair?
When you just STOP and think about it, it is pretty ridiculous. Someone is ROAD RAGING because another driver
is NOT breaking the law?
Sometimes I wonder what God thinks about all of it.
I can’t even imagine.
Here is what I will do this fall:
1.Sit on my patio/deck every evening after work for awhile
and do nothing.
2.NEVER even allow myself to think ill of another driver
going the speed limit, even if I am late.
3.Enjoy daily the stage of life I am in, not allowing myself to even think about rushing to the next stage
(even though I really do want grandkids:)
4. Daily, engage one person in a meaningful discussion about
their life, taking time to LISTEN... slowly and deliberately.
Join me?
Is it something about being 50-something that causes us to finally realize that we've spent the last 30 years (or basically our whole adult lives up till now) looking for the "next best thing"? That has been a real "2 x 4 knock-in-the-head" realization that has hit me over the past couple of years. I spent my early to mid 20's looking anxiously to the day I would get married - then to the day I'd be a mom. While my kids were little, I looked ahead to the day when NO ONE in the house would whine and cry. At some point, my babies grew up and became adults living far away and I feel like I must have been in a coma or entered a time warp. I realized a couple of years ago, that by constantly trying to live in the FUTURE looking for the next best thing, I missed out on the very precious and furiously fleeting PRESENT! I now really try to be "present in my present" and savor every precious minute God has given me! But it is HARD to do!
ReplyDeleteI am with you susan, totally! thx for commenting:)
ReplyDeleteWise words. I am in the big fat middle of kid raisin', marriage doin, schoolin life. It is all fast. I try my best to slow it down.... :)
ReplyDelete