We're back from Common Root '09, which was pretty fabulous. It brought together a lot of great people and fostered some really meaningful conversations (I especially appreciated the late-night talks and wonderful food provided by our hosts, who opened up their home to complete strangers). The 15 hours of driving over the weekend also gave Josh and me plenty of time to talk with each other.
I think the primary take-away lesson resonating with me is something I already knew but didn't fully accept: the pace of our life is untenable. For all our belief in simplicity, honest and meaningful conversation, hospitality, and a more contemplative lifestyle that allows enough time to think critically about the world as it is, we are very, very busy. To be fair, Josh and I are in an unusual phase of life with our schooling and commuting and his job, and we don't plan to be here forever. But this culture of frantic busyness is not something I want to build into my life, and I also think we need to make some hard decisions to be sure that this is only a short-term frantic pace. I was challenged in particular by Tom and Christine Sine to create rhythms in my life that are healthy and that provide ample time for real, robust celebration along with rest.
What are your rhythms, dear reader? Do you feel exceedingly busy? Frantic, even? Or is life pretty slow but without much substance? How do you think we can resist our culture's insistence on goinggoingoing?
Monday, February 16, 2009
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As the Borg says, "Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated into the collective..."
ReplyDeleteI do like the sound of healthy life rhythms far better than typical ruts of compressed time management. It's the goal focused planning that can make the difference... or the reactionary lifestyle that stays firmly embedded in the rut me thinks.