A Slower Pace
My friend, Sarah, nudged me today. She noted I hadn’t posted anything in a week, and asked was I tired of blogging already? No, certainly not tired of blogging. But I did read In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore recently, and it has made me rethink the frantic pace at which we live life.
This book is subtitled How a worldwide movement is challenging the cult of speed. This is the worldwide movement I have been looking for all my life. Ever since I spent a year in Spain in my mid-20s, I have tried to resist the North American ethos of work, earn, spend, repeat. The Spanish work to live – they do not live to work. They take time to savour good, slow food, good, slow wine, and I suppose good, slow sex (never got to sample any while I was there). There are pockets of resistance here in North America, but I am based in Calgary, and let me tell you that here, people wear 90-hour work weeks as badges of honour. So I am facing an uphill battle. But they’re always the most fun. I now have enough moxy to refuse to attend breakfast meetings, which are popular in Calgary, due to the fact I am rarely out of bed before 8:30. On this, I am firm. My circadian rhythm differs from yours and please respect that.
I am also seriously thinking of joining the Slow Food Calgary club (http://www.slowfoodcalgary.ca/). I just can’t seem to get around to it.
Did I mention that In Praise of Slow is right beside The Lazy Person’s Guide to Success on my bookshelf? ‘Nuff said for tonight.
My friend, Sarah, nudged me today. She noted I hadn’t posted anything in a week, and asked was I tired of blogging already? No, certainly not tired of blogging. But I did read In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore recently, and it has made me rethink the frantic pace at which we live life.
This book is subtitled How a worldwide movement is challenging the cult of speed. This is the worldwide movement I have been looking for all my life. Ever since I spent a year in Spain in my mid-20s, I have tried to resist the North American ethos of work, earn, spend, repeat. The Spanish work to live – they do not live to work. They take time to savour good, slow food, good, slow wine, and I suppose good, slow sex (never got to sample any while I was there). There are pockets of resistance here in North America, but I am based in Calgary, and let me tell you that here, people wear 90-hour work weeks as badges of honour. So I am facing an uphill battle. But they’re always the most fun. I now have enough moxy to refuse to attend breakfast meetings, which are popular in Calgary, due to the fact I am rarely out of bed before 8:30. On this, I am firm. My circadian rhythm differs from yours and please respect that.
I am also seriously thinking of joining the Slow Food Calgary club (http://www.slowfoodcalgary.ca/). I just can’t seem to get around to it.
Did I mention that In Praise of Slow is right beside The Lazy Person’s Guide to Success on my bookshelf? ‘Nuff said for tonight.
Comments
Having lived near Janice Beaton's Cheese shop for a few years, I'm with you on the Slow Food Calgary thing. In fact, I'd love to join you... if we ever get around to it. :-)
Enjoyable post.
Your mention of the North American ethos brings to mind a quote I read this morning. You wanna hear it? Here it goes...
"Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy more and be happy."
-THX 1138
Happiness is a warm bed late into the morning on a weekday.