The Speed of Life LEARNING HOW TO SLOW DOWN IN A FAST-PACED WORLD STORY BY MARTHA CARUCCI
Stop for a second. Ask yourself this question: What speed are you operating at right now? Are you the kind of person who goes full speed 24/7? Or has it now somehow become 25/8? Do you take time to stop, breathe, and literally smell the roses? Many people have said that COVID forced them to slow down; to sit, spend time with family, stay in, and do things they might not otherwise do. But as things start reverting to normal with the world opening up again and gradually removing restrictions, some go right back to their old pace. Others find that their slower pace was something they wanted to carry on, and that those roses actually do smell great. To me, it often feels like the world pushes us to operate in overdrive instead of teaching us and reinforcing that life might pass us by if we move too
fast to enjoy it. We are surrounded by advertising and messages that show us that if we take a certain medication, we will be running in slow motion with giant smiles on our faces, holding hands with our children in fields of flowers; if we drink a certain beer, which is perfectly chilled with beaded drops of cool water dripping down the bottle, we will have more fun on boat rides jumping off docks with beautiful looking friends, seemingly without a care in the world. We are pushed to have more; bigger, better, or faster; houses, cars, boats, motorcycles, or second homes; better bodies, stronger bodies, or thinner bodies. And it's not just about having more, but also doing more; to hold multiple volunteer positions, to out-do the other parents at the school bake sale, to be the coach or team parent of your kid’s sports team, to start a book club, to entertain more often. We are to wear THE GENTLEMEN'S ISSUE • 17