#311: What If I Slowed?

Jaime's poetic words below remind me of a conversation I had last week with a friend about the beauty of the "still" moments in life - whether that looks like breathing deeply in savasana on a yoga mat, or pausing for a moment on a walk to admire a flower amongst the tall grasses, or embracing a friend in a long hug. And in these slow and quiet moments, it's as if I can hear the whispers of the soul, sharing expressions of peace and gratitude for a sweet glimpse of time in a fast-paced world.

- Amanda

What If I Slowed?

It's easy to feel obsessed with convenience and quickness. 

Doing things faster. More efficient. 

There's a desire for the quick high of the left lane

We grow the “most food for the most people”. 

And I know I can buy anything from anywhere and have it tomorrow. 

But what if going slow was sexy? 

Full of feeling beneath my fingertips and oneness with others on the road instead of me-ness. 

What if when I drove by them I smiled? 

Eased on the gas to notice the deep blueness of the sky. 

Or to wonder about the life once lived of the raccoon corpse roadside. 

Was it, once, worthy of our thoughts? 

What if the tomatoes on the counters told stories of happy farmers healing souls and soil with their work?

What if I felt deeply, finally, how much that matters? 

What if slicing them for my salads sent sweet memories of making sauce with our ancestors? A quick moment with my late father. ..

What if my salt shakers were ceramics shaped by careful hands creating out of the solemn need to save their own life? 

And so when I dust my food I am too saying “I see you” and that keeps them here.

If my earrings made by friends helped build our community through conversations I might not have had otherwise? Conversations that call me back to who I really am and why I'm here. 

What if I fell more in love with thoughtfulness and paying attention and moving at a pace that made sense to my soul? 

What if I try to practice this more?

What could be the possibilities?