Me and my wife have to wake up earlier than usual to catch up with the morning rush. If we delay even a little bit, it will cost her a notch on her tardiness count. We don’t want that.
It’s the beginning of the school year. The number of people waiting for public transport has significantly doubled, or even tripled! Everyone is rushing to the streets. Cars are everywhere. Everything seems to be moving. What a frantic scenario.
Perhaps this will be our daily dose until such time when the transport situation improves or until the next school vacation.
I believe this environment is not peculiar from my side of the world. It is the same in major towns and cities. We are living in a fast-paced generation where everyone is on the go. A lot has become instant and on-demand.
Is there still room for slow living?
taken from UP Diliman during one of our husband and wife walks
As of writing, I am contemplating on many things. I’m looking for a side hustle to augment our growing needs. But I know I can no longer afford to add bulk to my hugely-packed schedule. I feel like I have to move or else I’d get left behind.
This kind of culture has made us creatures of movement. Even in times when we are supposed to take a rest, our mind rushes to do things. We are preoccupied, we are looking for ways to spend our energies on something productive. We think that being idle is unhealthy and rest is a waste.
I remember a time during my high school years when I was lying on my back looking at the stars. I was with some of my closest classmates and we were just talking about our future plans. It was serene. I can still remember the breeze, the laughter, the grass touching my skin. Life was so simple then, and I was living in the moment.
Little did I know that the time will come when vacations will be a luxury and extended rests will be elusive. Life turns out more challenging as you age.
I miss living a slow life. That life when I don’t have to wake up super early to catch up on work and stay up late at night because I still have other tasks to finish. I miss those simple moments when I was just lying on my back while looking at the stars. I miss being young and carefree.
And I want my wife to be with me.
But now, what we can do is work our asses off, commute early to the office, and go on living our adult lives — hoping someday we can escape this fast-paced living.