I'm trying to use less gas, so I rode my bike to pick up older toad at daycare this week, which was a great way to get some exercise. Also I got to work my brain as I pedaled and I reflected on our cultural concept of time and its implications.
How we use the word is illustrative. As a mom; I make time, spend time, find time, feel if only I had time, manage my time and live for alone time. All those action words are a desperate plea to fit everything in. But what am I trying to fit in and who am I fitting it in for?
As moms we really specialize in slow time. Whoever knew it took 1/2 an hour to pee on the toilet or an hour to eat 1/2 cup of food? But we fight those forced slowdowns by turning around and speeding other things up; dinner in a box - fast, exceed the speed limit in our gas guzzling vehicles - fast like a cheetah as my nephew says.
Applying slow time to everything around us means caring for our communities and environment. Volunteering - takes times, biking - takes more time, water conservation - takes as much time as you'll put into it, improving your relationships - positively glacial.
Maybe it's worth a discussion to learn to prioritize our time.
Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory, 1931, Collection of MoMA
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