
"It is a Western disease to make time finite, and then to impose speed on all aspects of life".
- Satish Kumar, Jain monk and editor/author of two of my favourite pieces of literature: Resurgence Magazine and his book, You Are, Therefore I Am: A Declaration of Dependence
.
Emma and I both suffer from time-sickness. We're constantly worried about what we're doing right now and what else we should be doing instead. A friend suggested reading Flow
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. After reading the first few pages, I'm sure that'll help to regain the enjoyment of every experience... I just haven't found the time to read it yet. One book I am reading is In Praise of Slow: How a Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed
by Carl Honore.
I'm sure he won't mind me quoting his response to the likes of the "One Minute Bedtime Stories
" phenomenon:
"My First reflex is to shout Eureka! At the time, I am locked in nightly tug-of-war with my two-year-old son, who favours long stories read at a gentle, meandering pace. Every evening, though, I steer him towardsthe shortest books and read them quickly...
...Part of me feels horribly selfish when I accelerate the bedtime ritual, but another part simply cannot resist the itch to hurry on to the next thing on my agnda - supper, emails, reading bills, more work, the news bulletin. Taking a long languid stroll through the world of Dr. Seuss is not an option. It is too slow."
Emma and I both suffer from time-sickness. We're constantly worried about what we're doing right now and what else we should be doing instead. A friend suggested reading Flow
I'm sure he won't mind me quoting his response to the likes of the "One Minute Bedtime Stories
"My First reflex is to shout Eureka! At the time, I am locked in nightly tug-of-war with my two-year-old son, who favours long stories read at a gentle, meandering pace. Every evening, though, I steer him towardsthe shortest books and read them quickly...
...Part of me feels horribly selfish when I accelerate the bedtime ritual, but another part simply cannot resist the itch to hurry on to the next thing on my agnda - supper, emails, reading bills, more work, the news bulletin. Taking a long languid stroll through the world of Dr. Seuss is not an option. It is too slow."
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