Message of the Day - The Slow Lane is More Scenic

Good Morning,

 

Welcome new recipients!!

 

After re-reading yesterday’s message I kept thinking about our world of instant gratification and what it has done to us to speed up life as we know it. I have seen people who have not been immersed in our culture go through the culture shock of being able to get everything now. The Dalai Lama once commented on how the culture in America is moving too fast, all of our conveniences eat up our time. Our Margin is diminished. It is overwhelming the things we can do or get quickly. Things that used to take weeks or months or longer now can be provided in mere minutes or less.  It takes a lot of will power to wait when what we want is right in front of us. Why cook for five hours to make homemade pasta sauce when you can buy bottled (and nowadays it is pretty good)?

 

I am a victim of instant gratification in the way of books. I could buy books online for a few dollars with shipping and wait a week or so for the book, or I could go to the local bookstore and buy it at near full price and have it now. There is a lot to be said for being able to hold what you want in your hands and have it, but then again, it comes at a cost. A cost which we may not fully understand at the time.

 

When we live our lives expecting fast, drive-through, service in areas of our life, we often compromise the quality of our life. Imagine what would happen to a full 5 course meal at a 4 Star Restaurant if it were served with the speed and efficiency of a Taco Bell or McDonalds (You know, the ones that get your orders right most of the time). You lose the ambience, the socializing, the enjoyment time. Karen often reminds me to slow down eating because I have grown accustomed to wolfing down my food in order to get to my next activity, which means I do not get to enjoy what I am eating, or enjoy the dinner conversations like I should.

 

Instant Gratification means that entire industries are trying to take all facets of life and compressing them into a drive-through mentality. They strive to provide the full flavor and features in an on-the-spot delivery format. In the process you lose a lot. Many of us have no idea of what we have lost by getting instant gratification and convenience. We have sped up our lives and lost some of the finer points. I enjoy cooking for five hours once a year or so, or when I can convince Karen I won’t make too much of a mess in the kitchen. The time spent with the kids and cooking is very enjoyable, a lot more fulfilling than opening a bottle and heating up premade sauce.

 

It is time to slow down and enjoy the walk instead of taking the car through the park. We need to take our time instead of rushing to put as much experience in as short amount of time as we have been doing. Unless we stop to smell the roses, we will find ourselves living life at warp speed with everything delivered instantly through drive-throughs and missing out on some great parts of life. There is a lot to say for quality over quantity.

 

Life was enjoyable before we had fast food, drive-throughs, cell phones, ipods and digital cameras. Let’s not forget to enjoy these parts of life too.

 

You can still get to your destination by driving in the slow lane, and you get to see more along the way!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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