Rush!

I'm a child of the 70s and 80s and I love Rush! In fact, I'm hoping to see them on tour one of these days. But today's blog isn't about the band. It's about time. In my car today, I heard a new Kenny Chesney song called "Don't Blink". It's the story of a man turning 102 years old and as he's interviewed by a news reporter, his central message is "Don't blink, a hundred years goes by faster than you think".

By the end of the song I was teary-eyed, thinking about my mom's life and the fact that she died so young. Then I began to wonder why "time flies". I think partly it's because life really is short, but also, my foodie brain began to ponder how life is like a great meal...

A delicious meal is so much better when anticipated,  lingered over and savored -- and it's even better when enjoyed with good company and conversation.  It's no fun to eat on the run, slamming food you barely have time to taste, as you rush from one thing to the next. It's especially disappointing to have to eat a really great meal on the fly, because you just know you're missing a great experience.

During Kenny's song, I got to thinking how life is like a meal, and all around me, people are living on the equivalent of fast food. What's worse, they're raising their kids on it too. I see people rushing here and rushing there, frantic to get to whatever's next on the agenda, so focused on being busy and filling their lives with experience that they miss it. How's that for irony? Much like eating in a hurry, when you live your life in a 24/7 state of "busy", the smells, tastes and texture of life can whiz right by you, unnoticed and unappreciated.

Every day there are a million fabulous things to notice and be thankful for, and be present with in the moment, even though you may be busy. Life is beautiful. It's like a wonderful, delicious meal that's meant to be savored, enjoyed and reveled in as often as possible. Choose to slow down a bit. You may think you "have to" live at the pace you're living, but you do have options. I love this piece of the Rush song, Freewill:

You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose freewill

We can all choose a path that's clear if we want to. Yes, even you, Mr. or Mrs. Busy. I'm not talking about giving up all your worldly possessions and becoming a Zen Master or something. Start small and just schedule a few less things in your life, starting today.  Give yourself some breathing room and a little less structured time. Take a bit more attention to savor your days, connect with the people you love more often, enrich your life by being kind to strangers, and maybe time won't rush by quite like it used to.

Comments

[Melinda]

Great post Monica. Thank you.

Hugs,
Melinda

[Jon]

Yup... agreeded. Once (before kids when I had not reconginzed the need to slow down) I had a New Years resolution to stop eating on my feet (hovering over the sink with a sandwhich in one hand a glass of milk in the other).

Great advice.... advice to "live" by...

[Jacki Hollywood Brown]

Hey Monica,
I got RUSH's anthology for Christmas last year. They are one of my FAVE groups (and coming to Montreal soon too).
I have the lyrics to Freewill posted in my office.
Of course you've gotta love a rock band that has received the Order of Canada!

[Monica Ricci]

Thanks for your comments, Jacki, Jon and Melinda. Just yesterday I had a RUSH day and man, did I hate it. I realize that it's not possible to NEVER rush through a day now and again, but if I had to live in that state, I think I'd go nuts pretty quick.

~Monica

[Kristen]

Great post! Of course, I love the food analogy.... And while I'm not a huge fan of Rush, my BF in high school was and I do love that song.

[Monica Ricci]

Kristen, thanks for your comment. I hope you'll stop by often and leave your thoughts!
~Monica

[Terry Lessig]

Great analogy, Monica. Great timimg, too. I'm an audio book publisher, and on Monday, August 27th, I'm releasing my latest title called "My First 100 Years!" written and read by R. Waldo McBurney, a 104-year old beekeeper in Kansas. He still walks to work everyday, and during my week with him in May to record the book, I could barely keep up, despite being 50 years younger!

And while we're speaking of youth, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

[Monica Ricci]

Terry, thanks so much for your comment. What a lot of stuff your hundred year old friend must have seen over his lifetime! By the way, how did you know today is my birthday??
~Monica

[Terry Lessig]

A cute answer might be that a little bird told me, and a scary answer might be that I'm psychic, but in reality, you mentioned it, or there was a picture caption on one of your earlier sites...maybe MySpace, or the Windows Live Spaces, which is where I originally found you. I filed the info away for the right day. I also know you're packin' more than closets. I like that!