Life is Slow in Some Places

Whenever I look at this man with his donkey I feel a sense of calm, of quiet and slowness. It's such a contrast to the busy and fast paced life that I lead. The little streets on this Greek Island have no room for cars,only people walking and donkeys. The hilly landscape makes it necessary for people and their donkeys to walk slowly, to pace themselves and not rush. They also don't seem to have much to rush to. They seem to fit in with the gentle routine of the environment, rather than a forced environment we can sometimes feel we have developed.

I wonder whether what it would take for us to learn from these people, to learn to slow down, to learn to take the time to be present, to meet up if we bump into each other and to be happy with the simple pleasures of life. Would getting rid of cars make a difference? Would that be enough to start a different trend? Would it not be enough? As I write this I am reminded of the Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne - there are no cars (although the trams are pretty fast and noisy so perhaps it doesn't count). People still seem to rush around and bump into each other. Some wander and look around but not too many.

I wonder whether we will have some kind of implosion and find ourselves burning out with the pressure and stress of all this rushing. Might we resort to more gentle and slow lifestyles that enable us to take the time we need to get through each day? Can we learn this earlier rather than later?



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