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Americans place too much emphasis on time |
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 |
Tick tock, tick tock.
We are always in such a rush to get to class, to meet friends for lunch, to finish an assignment before it is due in t-minus ten minutes, to fill a ‘fast’ food order in record time − often times preparing it in a slipshod manner.
We pop iPod earbuds into our ears and go on our way, sighing with relief when we don’t have to stop in our tracks to chat with a friend spotted in the distance.
Heaven forbid you arrive late to class by a minute because you stopped to ask how someone’s day was going.
The United States has adopted a lifestyle of living by the clock.
There is such an emphasis put on time.
Watches are no longer ubiquitous. Cell phones have become our new time-keeping device.
As children, we encourage the passing of time, anxious to see what adulthood entails.
As adults, the passage of time becomes a frightening experience as our time on Earth grows short and the years fly by.
Not everyone views the concept of time in the same light.
Some cultures do not make time a part of their lives and some cultures
are wary of time passing by, while others run their lives by the clock
Life in other areas of the world, such as in Tanzania, moves at a
slower pace. The people wake up with the sunrise and they go to bed at
sundown.
I wonder if life in Tanzania is more fulfilling for that reason,
because they live their lives by the sun, not the clock. They leisurely
go through their daily lives and thus, most likely live a more
fulfilling lifestyle.
Rushing through our days does not give us the opportunity to seek enjoyment in the little things in life.
As it is, with my course load and my extra-curricular activities this
semester, I hardly find time to just relax and breathe. I am constantly
on the go.
Despite how busy I am, I make en effort to call my mom and sister back home.
I may not be calling them as often as four times a week like I was able
to do so last semester, but I still find the time to call for a quick
check-up.
The idea of an “American Dream” is one reason the United States may feel rushed.
Americans strive for success and luxury; often times striving for that dream pressures them to do more and more.
I often hear people counting off days - “10 more days until I turn 21 years old,” or “40 days until Christmas!”
We often forget about the days in between that will land us at 21 years old or at Christmastime.
If we began to live those days in between, our focus would shift to
living a day-to-day lifestyle as opposed to marking off just another
humdrum of a day on our calendars.
Take a minute to slow down.
Pause.
Take time out of your day to ask a Welborn Cafeteria employee how their day is going.
Smile at an unsuspecting stranger on a walk across campus.
Seek enjoyment in the little things, like lunch with friends before rushing off to the library.
Don’t allow the clock to control your life.
The beauty is not on the face that hangs on the wall but rather in the world around you.
Jacqueline Scott, a freshman journalism major from Cary, is an intern lifestyles reporter.
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