If my life were a game, it’d probably be ‘Need for Speed’. I like being on the fast lane. I absolutely hate being stuck in traffic (who doesn’t?). I like fast food. I hate having to wait for stuffs to be done. I always ask, ‘Can we speed up this process?’ I walk fast. I have a feeling my wedding song will be upbeat so I quickly march to the altar and get it over with (LOL). I believe slow internet connection is worse than a zombie take over! And having a slow system almost gets me nuts!

The world is on a fast lane. People are hurrying. Books are getting smaller (get to the point already). Technology changes every day! New trends emerge. Fashion is on a runway. We’re all moving so fast and it’s getting harder to catch up!

Is this limited to millennials who didn’t have to use a pen to patiently rewind a cassette tape or wait for the cable TV to come on at a particular time in black and white? Not really. Even the older ones who saw those things have joined the fast lane. Tryna keep up with trends as if they were the Kardashians.

When was the last time you allowed a photographer take your picture at a studio and wait for the printed copy? (Why do that when you can just take a selfie in a split second?)  

Where are we rushing to? Are we just hurrying to the grave?

Everything God made has its times and seasons. The earth isn’t rotating faster than it should. We do not have less than 365 days in a year or less than 24 hours a day. A woman still stays pregnant for 9 months. Nature isn’t in a hurry, so why the rush? We rush through different seasons of our lives. We rush through childhood, anxious for teenage hood. We rush through that as well to adulthood. We rush through school-years to get jobs and we also rush from one job to the next. Where are we rushing to?

Truth is, the fast lane will keep going on but you don’t always have to be on it. Sometimes you just need to pause. Rewind. Reflect. Notice the butterfly as it pollinates flowers. Notice the fly trying to escape from a spider’s web. Notice your wife’s new hairstyle and your husband’s new interest. Notice your children’s new friends. Notice the poor in need of your help. Notice the hurt behind your friend’s smiles.

Slow down and enjoy every moment. You’ll never have the lost time so make the best use of it. Reduce the regrets of not doing the things that really matter. Make a proper three course home meal and enjoy with your loved ones. Take photographs and have them printed. Travel and explore the vast world. Hold up on the instant messages and have long conversations. Write handwritten notes. Be kind to people you meet. Spend time with God. Smile genuinely and be fully present in every moment! 

 We’re all gonna die someday, so why hurry to the grave?

©Mfon Etuk, 2016.