Slow living? Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
No flash, no bang, hardly any drama.
It could be a life goal, easing into each day with gentle anticipation.
What prevents it? Excuses.
But, it starts out with the best intentions.
-
Wake up early. Take advantage of long summer days. A good friend told me there is a sunrise and a sunset every day; it is only up to me to enjoy them.
Wake up early in the desert southwest to avoid a sun so hot that you need the same kitchen mitts used to cook with cast iron skillets to touch the steering wheel.
Stay under cover to avoid a cancery patch of basal cells, or squamous cells, landing on your face.
Celebrate the each sunset for another day you didn’t get stranded in your car without water and die.
I think I’m getting it.
-
Change your routine. Consider adjusting your schedule and finding a seasonal routine. It may be time to integrate new rules or relax others.
To understand America, you need to understand the seasons: There’s football season, then the rest.
Football fans wake up early to watch games played in Europe.
They wake up early to start drinking, yelling, and gambling.
To everyone within earshot they say, “See that? I could do that, but my high school coach wouldn’t give me any playing time.”
-
Make space and time for what is important. Start by decluttering your physical environment; it can be very therapeutic.
Decluttering is best done by example.
Find someone who lives the decluttered life and copy them. (Hey Ray)
It starts with one shelf, one drawer.
Or, one garage when your wife says she wants to park her car in there.
What Do You Do Then?
Explain, in calm, soothing tones, how much you cherish her request and will work hard to honor it even when she threatens to call the local junk haulers to come and take all of your crap away.
At which point you melt down and list all you do for her, the sacrifices, the burden, the all-honey all of the time life you’ve given her.
But, my friends, that is not slow living.
Instead, pour a long whiskey drink with ginger beer, Jim Beam, and a squirt of lemon juice from a plastic yellow lemon, and make a plan.
You could move everything around endlessly, or map it out on paper for best results.
Listen, if this is all new to you, I’ll explain.
Baby Boomers have seen fads come and go, and one thing has stuck over the years, and that’s good planning.
We’ve seen, heard about, or actually owned, a pet rock.
Our kids have seen, heard about, or actually owned similar treasures like Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Pokemon Cards.
They grow attached.
Good planning loosens things up, then tightens with what to keep.
Slow Living For Detachment
However you feel about being told what to do, it’s not all bad.
What if I told you that everything in life has a process to follow, that every goal can be attained through hard work and perseverance.
Then you counter with lottery winners.
Fine, they get lucky.
But, you’ve got to ask yourself, “Do you feel lucky?”
Every honcho, hustler, and hype-man has a better way of doing things, and if you don’t get onboard you’ll be left behind.
A look behind the curtain:
A lady took her boyfriend with her car shopping.
Every salesman aimed their pitch at the guy, which annoyed her to the point of looking elsewhere.
My wife and I went car shopping for her car and the same thing happened.
The first place had a salesman who knew what she wanted better than she did.
They were wrong.
The second place had a salesman a little better.
Salesman: She’s the boss today, isn’t she?
Me: Every day.
Salesman: It took me three wives to figure that one out.
Slow living makes room for others, and it’s not that hard.
Availability is a main ability. So, be available.
Not needy, clingy, just available.
Do that for some fine living, baby.
Let it roll.
Wife: What are you doing.
Me: Nothing.
Wife: That’s what you said yesterday.
Me: I didn’t finish.
Wife: Would you like to . . .
Me: Yes.
About David Gillaspie
Speak Your Mind