So I’m zooming down I-93 heading back from work and my wheel starts to vibrate. It’s noticable, so I slow down, roll up the windows and turn off the radio. I go a little further and then hear thum thum thum thum thum from the back of the car… damn. So I get off at the next exit and the thum thum thum is even louder, finding myself in the middle of nowhere, I look for the first public parking lot. When I finaly find it and get out, sure enough, my right rear tire is as flat as can be. The particularly annoying thing is that I had this tire repared (it was leaking slowly) just a month ago. So, out comes the spare, up goes the car, and I change the tire.
So, back on the highway, with my dinky little spare, I decide to stick to the right lane all the way home. And you know what? It was one of the most relaxing rides home I’ve had in a while. I’m sure the spacey music from Gyroscope on WERS helped, but, going at a slower pace was definitely a part of it. This all got me thinking about how I’m always rushing around. In terms of driving, I can understand rushing to work so as to not be late. But in coming home, I have no family to take care of, so what’s the rush?
But it’s about more than driving. I’m realizing that I’m rushing in all aspects of what I do…. eating, reading, walking, odds and ends. I think it is a part of my desire to be productive and accheive great things… sure that sounds corny, but I’ve come to realize that if I need / want to get something done, I have to do it. But perhaps I’ve taken this too far. Perhaps I’ve forgotten to slow down and enjoy getting it done, i.e. the means as well as the end.
Considering I’m going to have to wait X amount of months before receiving my Peace Corps assignment (up to 9 officially,) perhaps this is the time where I should start practicing my skills at slowing down a little (without losing my drive to be effective.) I’m not sure exactaly how to do this, and wondered if anyone has any little suggestions of things that keep them from rushing through something that could be great to savor. I’m reminded of a good relationship I had that took it’s good time to develop. Although I was a little younger and wanted things to move faster, the gradual development came to mean much more than any quick hookup could have. So, I’d like to translate my new effort to all aspects of my life.
And all this brought about by a flat tire.
I’d suggest reading things more slowly. I don’t know how you read, but I’m noticing more and more now that I fly through articles, books, and instructions, spending only enough time to get a basic jist of the work, rather than really understanding and remembering it. It’s more time-effective, sure, but I don’t learn very much by doing it and it’s embarrassing when I’m trying to remember one of these articles to back up an argument: “I read this article, er, somewhere, that had this guy that, uh, said this thing…”
What’s more, a lot of times I’m not even thinking about the articles I read. I’m skimming a news story and thinking about work projects, or personal worries, or any number of other things that distract me from whatever I’m reading and prevent me from really gaining anything. I flip from article to article, picking out the juiciest parts for momentary shock (who’s been killed, who’s going to be killed, who’s killing, etc.) and then I move on to the next article. It’s the literary equivalent of channel-surfing.
So my advice is that the next time you read something, be aware of (1) whether or not you’re actually thinking about the article you’re reading, and (2) whether or not you’re actually reading it. Read word by word instead of line by line. It will take more time, but I think you’ll remember more of it and get more out of it. I’ve just started doing that, and so far it seems to be working for me.
– Chris