It’s all too fast.

And frankly it’s getting tiring.

I long to live in a slower time. A time long gone. A time when we spent weeks on holiday, and days with friends, and hours reading, and long casual strolls for no other purpose than to stroll.

I got my bank statement yesterday and had to chuckle. The balance on the paper statement was several days old. So much had happened, my life had already changed. The balance now meaningless, the new balance fresh in my head from looking it up only hours ago… online.
I don’t want to have to know my balance everyday. But I must. Can’t be risking any of that identity theft. That can happen in a flash.
Can’t have that.
It all happens so fast.

I remember as a kid – watching my mom sit down in the evening at her desk to check her statement and balance her books. You could do that then. The balance on the statement most certainly matched the balance in your register. Ah yes – perhaps there was a check written here or there – but that would be neatly noted, and marked as outstanding …until your next statement. Checks were mailed. Then logged, then presented, then cleared… these things took time.

I want that time.

There was a time when we weren’t bombarded with 15 second visual images, a time before a 'snippet' even existed. When you might sit under a tree for an hour. Just to enjoy the tree.
There was waiting. You might need to wait for something or someone, and you would do just that – wait. No gameboy or cell phone, not even a book or magazine. You would just wait.

I want to wait.

Go back further. How about writing letters to communicate. Can you imagine? Waiting weeks to hear back from someone. You write a letter, drop it in the post and wait.
No instant response, no smiley face.

Perhaps you would write to a friend to inquire about a visit.

“Shall I visit in the Spring?” you might write before the winter holidays.

“Yes, yes please do come, I’ll arrange a room for you so you can stay till after solstice.” Your friend would write back, while beginning to go about the business of anticipating your arrival.

And so you would go to visit. You might arrive by carriage, with luggage and such – tho not several ginormous wheely bags filled with a store front full of clothes and a dozen shoes – no … you would have a case or if you were staying till midsummer a perhaps a trunk. You would stay with your friends, and have meals together and take walks and sit by the fire, and of course... have cocktails.

I want to visit.

Today, I am going to take my time. I am going to try to just slow life down, a little bit, as much as is reasonable while still getting through a regular day ...and not getting fired.

I will apologize in advance if you happen to be in the car behind me.