Slow Down--You're Moving too Fast!

We are so accustomed to fast--fast driving, fast Internet, fast food.  We are addicted to speed and we want it to be fast.  If we have to wait for anything, we get impatient.  But what if it is worth the wait?

I had the chance this week to hear Kurt Friese who is a leader in the slow food movement.  There were many life lessons that he shared that resonate with sage-ing.  He said that we mistake frenzy or business for efficiency and that we tend to feed ourselves the same way we fuel cars--fast and with corn!

I loved these two comments: 

• We are all going to the same place in the end.  Are you in that big of a hurry to get there?
• We are what we eat.  Does that mean you are fast, cheap, and easy?

When it comes to food (and to life) we should relax, slow down, and enjoy the process.  We should be mindfully eating--paying attention to what we eat and savoring it.  Kurt concluded with "speed is a dangerous thing."

If we think about people who have pushed life to the limits, it often ends badly or sadly.  Since the most memorable moments are usually those we spent around a table "breaking bread together," we should learn more about the slow food movement. 

We should eat good food, well prepared, and share it with good friends.  I will drink to that! 

Comments

[Ryan Vos]

Love the post! And maybe I am fast, cheap, and easy but at least I'm America's favorite fry!

The slow movement is so much bigger than slow food. The concept of slowing down can be extended into life and leadership, relationships and religion. How many times do we pass our friends and only engage in a drive-by conversation? How many times do we blurt out a question before we comb our brians for the answer? How many times do we treat church as a scheduled event?

If we take the time to slow down, yes we might enjoy our food a bit more, but we also might feel a friend's pain, answer our own question, and be aware of a new seeker.

Ready, Set, SLOW

[Jann Freed]

Ryan--Thanks for the comments. I love your ending--Ready, set, SLOW. When Kurt signed my copy of his cookbook, he put: Slow down Jann. I think that is good advice. Thanks for reading.