Adopting More Slow Motion in Life?
CBS Sports is credited with providing the first slow motion instant replay. It occurred in December of 1963 during coverage of the Army-Navy annual college football game. This innovation revolutionized sports’ viewing; enabling fans to not only experience the excitement of a miraculous play multiple times but also to freeze a moment in time to critically evaluate a play or potential infraction. Perhaps we humans can learn something from this technology.
When you think about it, human life is actually pretty darn long. With average life expediencies hovering around 80, and more and more folks transcending the century mark, the luckiest among us are afforded over 35,000 days – nearly a million hours – to do something with.
Few other species on earth are granted such average longevity. Indeed, our four-legged family members rarely make it past 15. My wife’s beloved dragonflies only get four months on average to experience the wonder of this earth. While there are a modicum of odd-ball species that can make it a full two centuries – sharks, eels, koi fish and turtles – I can’t say that I would voluntarily exchange places with any of them.
So why are many of us dissatisfied with our own longevity, especially as we get closer to that “drop dead” date? And why does it seem as though life goes so darn fast? Is there a more common refrain than: “Where has the day gone?” or “I can’t believe it’s winter already” or ” It seemed like just yesterday that you were a kid.”
A lot of it has to do with the fact that we really like this living thing. Despite the promises of many religions that we are going to a “better place,” most of us are kind of attached to this one and are not all that anxious to swap the certainty of a pretty sweet deal on earth for the “if-come” assurances from lay people dressed in fancy robes.
But I also suspect it’s because many of us live in fast-forward; I certainly do. It’s not that I am oblivious to the importance of time, but rather the opposite; because I am acutely aware that our time is limited and I want to seize every second of it. So to compensate I do things – essentially everything – with speed. I walk fast, eat fast, and talk fast. I’m always working on projects and creating written and mental “to do” lists. I seek to cram as many actions and activities as I can in a day and, like a close buddy of mine, I “check” them off with satisfaction.
Indeed, as I have mentioned before, if I had my druthers and could pull it off without harming my health, I would choose not to sleep. I know many find that abhorrent; they love their slumber and the opportunity to curl into a ball and drift away into nothingness each evening. But I can’t get past the fact that we’re basically sleeping away the equivalent of one-third of our lives – more than 25 years on average! – and for some real sleepy-heads, like my 90 year old dad, you can nearly double that!
I also strive for efficiency in everything I do. This has been an obsession with me for a long time. As just one example, I used to carry a book with me everywhere in college and law school just in case I got stuck in a line briefly somewhere. I am no fan of “unproductive time” and have little patience waiting on others who are slow.
And yet as I strive to operate as quickly and efficiently as possible, I am no doubt missing something. I’m less likely to savor moments because I’m already planning for the next activity. How often do I just sit down on the grass on a scintillating day and just breathe, reflect, express gratitude or simply take it all in? Perhaps those who operate at what seems to me more like a turtle’s pace are actually living a more meaningful life?
So, I’ve decided that I’m going to give it a shot – well, at least occasionally. I doubt that this hare will ever become a tortoise, but perhaps there are some benefits to slowing down every now and then and even employing some slow motion instant replay.
