One of the current fads is something called Slow Living. More a group of associated lifestyles rather than a single philosophy, all subscribe to the notion of embracing a way of life that is less hurried, more self-sufficient, and often less dependent on technology. Proponents include those that homestead, the Amish, and the so-called "Slow Food" movement - who have turned away from eateries that prepare generic entrees meant for eating on the go in favor of places you can sit down and enjoy local speciality prepared with care using local produce.
One thing I always hated was being a slave to a clock. Always needing to rush to some meeting that someone thought was important and really wasn't. Why was I filling out a time card itemizing my hours when I was a salaried employee? Why did it matter? The job got done and done right whether it took half an hour or I worked overnight on it.
Equally annoying was having to deal with constant flux of account numbers to charge work against. Lord help you if you mistakenly used last month's numbers. Artificial pressure created by bureaucracy to keep worker bees miserable while ensuring job-security for some bean counters. Ugh.
My childhood was life near farms and the land. The cycle of life was driven by the season not a sweep-second hand. Planting time, cultivating, harvest season goes back thousands of years. Small wonder it feels more natural to many.
One of my first acts upon retirement was to discard the timepiece that had enslaved me. I still like pocket watches, as art and a nice way to dress sharply for special occasions. But no more digital doodads beeping reminders that must be attended. I'm done with that mindless rush through the day, now back to the ancient seasonal cycle.
Fall is coming. You can feel it in the air. It's still warm outside, but those days in the 90s are behind us for the year. Time to start thinking about cooking stews and roasts. Now and then some items in the wok. Even when cooking I reject the tyranny of the clock. Grandma's method - cook it until it's done.
It's so much more peaceful this way. One may never be able to be totally happy, but I can laugh a lot more now. Call that a win.
One thing I always hated was being a slave to a clock. Always needing to rush to some meeting that someone thought was important and really wasn't. Why was I filling out a time card itemizing my hours when I was a salaried employee? Why did it matter? The job got done and done right whether it took half an hour or I worked overnight on it.
Equally annoying was having to deal with constant flux of account numbers to charge work against. Lord help you if you mistakenly used last month's numbers. Artificial pressure created by bureaucracy to keep worker bees miserable while ensuring job-security for some bean counters. Ugh.
My childhood was life near farms and the land. The cycle of life was driven by the season not a sweep-second hand. Planting time, cultivating, harvest season goes back thousands of years. Small wonder it feels more natural to many.
One of my first acts upon retirement was to discard the timepiece that had enslaved me. I still like pocket watches, as art and a nice way to dress sharply for special occasions. But no more digital doodads beeping reminders that must be attended. I'm done with that mindless rush through the day, now back to the ancient seasonal cycle.
Fall is coming. You can feel it in the air. It's still warm outside, but those days in the 90s are behind us for the year. Time to start thinking about cooking stews and roasts. Now and then some items in the wok. Even when cooking I reject the tyranny of the clock. Grandma's method - cook it until it's done.
It's so much more peaceful this way. One may never be able to be totally happy, but I can laugh a lot more now. Call that a win.
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