The Tortoise Sometimes Wins

We’ve all seen the YouTube videos of angry customers verbally abusing fast food restaurant employees because his or her order was taking a few minutes too long. Who hasn’t sped up to a red light just to be the first car in your lane? Infomercials on teaching your child to recognize words before they can even walk are abundant. Stroll down the health and beauty aisle at any large retailer and you’ll run into a myriad of beauty products promoting instants results. Celebrities pitch us get rich quick schemes or products to lose weight fast and we buy into them. Let’s stop for a moment and examine our lives. We as a society are fixated with wanting results now. Being the hare that wins the race isn’t always what is best for us.

I’ll be the first one to admit that I am no different. Yes, I want to look and feel good instantly, and when I order food, I don’t want it to take long. I’m hungry and I want instant gratification. That’s why I was hesitant to read the recent ASCPA Book Club reading selection, In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honoré. First, the title turned me off and second, who wants to be slow. After some procrastination, I (slowly) began reading In Praise of Slowness, and to my surprise, found myself agreeing with the author.  

Honoré writes about American workers failing to use a fifth of their paid time off. Americans do work too much, but we are not necessarily the most efficient. In my review of The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, I write about the overworked and stressed out American. There were numerous similarities between both books, which reinforced what I read and the changes I am trying to implement in my own life. 

Most of us have our own definition of fast versus slow, and I would bet slow is mostly described as a negative trait. Honoré describes fast as, “…busy, controlling, aggressive, hurried, analytical, stressed, superficial, impatient…” and “…slow is the opposite: calm, careful, receptive, still, intuitive, unhurried, patient, reflective.” According to the author, it is about making real and meaningful connections with people, work, food, everything.  Slow can be beautiful and I agree.

Another area where I could relate with Honoré was when he purposely chose one-minute bedtime stories to read to his two-year-old son to fulfill his fatherly obligations while saving time. As a father of two young children, husband, employee and volunteer, I at times feel dominated by the clock—at home and work. No one is rushing me but me, and I need to remember that.

Although, you may not agree that being slow is possible in this environment— and you may be right—I would recommend reading this book. We can’t all be slow all the time, and the author recognizes that, but we can make small changes in our own lives. I for one plan to allow my children to learn a new subject on their own time and pace, without rushing them or trying to see positive results before they are ready.

I never thought I would be able to relate to the tortoise in Aesop’s fable, The Tortoise and the Hare, but as I make the necessary changes in my life, I find myself relating more and more to the tortoise. Going through life at high speeds and not enjoying every moment does not appeal to me. After reading the fable again, I think the tortoise did enjoy his slow beautiful life, as I have begun to do.

Take deep breaths and enjoy life—slowly! Thanks for reading.

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