Faster...Faster...Faster

This post kind of relates to my last one and I will ask an all too familiar question. Why are we always so BUSY?

The world just seems to be getting faster and faster and faster (hence the title of this post). It's scary. And the more sophisticated and so-called time and labour-saving devices are making life more and more hectic and complicated.

As we try to cram more and more into each day, frantically trying to beat the clock, we no longer have time just to chill or spend catching up with people. So the more busy we get, we realise we need faster ways of communicating with each other. Snail mail is just too slow now, so we email our letters. But what if they don't check their email in the next hour or so? So we chat with them on Messenger - at least they'll get the message instantly. But what if they aren't home or using a computer? We'd better SMS them and if they don't respond immediately, we ring their mobile. And if we still can't hold of them... Dammit. Why are they so uncontactable???

In the olden days, people got up and went to bed when the birds did. Now with the invention of electricity, people can become nocturnal. We can work insane hours and drink as many coffees as we need to stay awake. And of course it's all for the money. If we work harder and longer, we can get more money and finally have a life. Too bad we'll never have time to actually spend it. I watched the movie Just Like Heaven a few weeks ago (read a review here). The main character faced this problem - working and working and working....and nothing else.

There's just so many 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunities. We work fulltime, go to church, bible study and take on a million other ministries, go to TAFE and study basket-weaving or cooking or German and juggle that with a PhD, going to the gym and maybe we can squeeze in a little time to spend with friends and family. All are good things and enjoyable things to be doing but we can't do them all at once. God just didn't make me an octopus - I only have two hands. (I don't do basket-weaving by the way ;)).

Time waits for no-one. So we power walk, push the speed limit if we have to and those annoying Sunday drivers on weekdays - honk them! Curse those lights. If only we'd had an Up and Go for breakfast, we'd have 10 more minutes to spare. 10 minutes! Every second is precious.

Food? That takes far too long to cook. Fresh vegies? Frozen or packet ones will do. We've just worked a 14 hour day and don't feel like cooking. So we can have Maccas tonight and HJs tomorrow night and pizza the next night. Oh no, we're all putting on weight!

We ask "how are you?" to a friend, but don't wait to hear the response. We're already across the other side of the room, asking the exact same question to someone else. Of course our other friend was ok.

And we just can't take the stress - headaches, migraines, strokes, heart attacks, nervous breakdowns, depression. But we don't have time to be sick. Just pop a pill.

Are we ever going to slow down? I hate being really busy. I have met some people who once told me they thrive on busy-ness and having a schedule packed with activities. Even such people have faced breakdowns and panic attacks at the result of such a hectic lifestyle.

About four years ago, I received the following email. It made me think....what are we hurtling towards? And what are we missing out on?

SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?
When the day is done do you lie in your bed,
With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow",
And in your haste not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time to call and say, "Hi"?

You better slow down
Dn't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift......thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower.
Hear the music.
Before the song is over.

I'm guilty of many of the things above. I don't have easy answers. But I know just one thing....we can't go at this pace forever.