In Praise of Slowness - Carl Honore

week 2 of the Great Unwind

Santorini

so i've just completed the second week of my "Great Unwind".  it's not something a lot of people get to do, where one just quits their job and stays at home for awhile.

people call it the "quarter life crisis" - a deep need sensed by those in their 20s and 30s to do something meaningful with their lives on a consistent basis.

it was a lot easier when i was a student and didn't have to worry about money.  unwinding then was extremely carefree and the effects were more immediate.  it takes a lot more to unwind when there are so many things that require a part of you, like household chores and family.

week 2 still seems like day 2.  where the demands and the stresses from times past still linger, while the whole schedule changes and one is still trying to adapt. what i learnt this week was that you can remove the external stresses but it does take some time to remove the internal stress.  when my brain gets overloaded, i tend to forget things and become less aware of things.  it happened a few times again this week.

the good thing is that in the midst of it all, i still had some time to start working on my new project. but i'm careful not to speed things up too quickly and get lost in the work again.

why it is worth it

i've been mulling over my opening blog post for awhile now.  writing "the slow motion" can very much be a reaction to the fast paced life, and it's been challenging to think of content that really reflects this as a cause.

in the midst of all that, i decided to open one of my "farewell" gifts this afternoon just to make sure it wasn't perishable (it was!) and along with it came a precious little note.

although the words are few, it touched my heart deeply.  the gift is from a colleague i wasn't particularly close to.  we would talk occasionally when i was passing by her desk and i had always assumed she was one of those "without much care in the world", because of her lovely jolly nature.

on my second last day of work, we bumped into each other at the photocopier. she was consolidating some work and i was finding a place to relax from the crazy handover (pantries are the worst place to be, people). she asked about my future and we started talking.  in that short five minutes, we connected and encouraged each other. and something i said made her burst out laughing just before the boss called her over (i love doing that to people even if i didn't know they would react that way!).

i guess the note she gave me is really what the motion for a slower life is all about: that we can slow down, walk alongside others and encourage them when they are weary, empathise in their sadness, and rejoice with them in victory.

we might be slightly less efficient in the present, but the long strides we take in truly making a difference is so worth it. and just saying.. this could be the truly effective route.

"the slow motion" is a call to slow down, take a step back and really live in a manner that rightly portrays our values. it is a probing into life and deciding which values are the priority in the first place. it is an exciting journey in a time like this and very counter-culture but so very critical.

more thoughts to come :)