Time

The other day I was talking to my aunt and we started discussing how the time flies by these days. She said that when they were kids they used to have so much time on their hands and could do so many things. Now, the days just seem to fly by. Why? Its not like the earth has started spinning faster or the number of seconds in a day have reduced!! I feel it too. The weekdays go fast and the weekends even faster. All of us are always in such a rush to everything. I am included in that too. I mean even when I am walking around with a lot of free time in my hands I cannot seem to slow down for a moment and just enjoy my surroundings.

I am usually listening to music whenever I walk and am so engrossed in it that dont notice anything around me. Which is OK when the roads are full of traffic. But what about early mornings? Or the small lanes where there is not much traffic around? Why cant I just slow down for once and notice what is happening around me.

Today I was to meet a friend at the top of a hill. As usual I had my earphones plugged in and was humming along to the music. I reached midway and there was a sort of an open space and a cool, gentle breeze blowing. At tht moment I just stopped, I knew he was waiting for me on top but I had to wait and look around. At that moment I removed my earphones and put them in my pocket. At that time I felt that listening to artificial music at such moment would be an insult to nature. And that was the first moment I realised how I have stopped admiring the natural beauty all around me. I mean when I was in school I used to love to go for walks all by myself, or sometimes accompanied by my dog, and would just look around, stop at various places, take a deep breath, admire the new life budding all around me (esp in the monsoons) and move on.

24 hours were enough then, then why are they not enough now? But, now that I have realised it I make a pledge to myself, that I will slow down a bit from now and get back to what I used to be earlier. I just hope I am able to keep it.

I dont know who is the author of this poem. It came to me in a forwarded mail. But it captues whatever I am trying to say above:

SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You'd better slow down. Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Do you run through each day On the fly?

When you ask "How are you?"

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through your head?

You'd better slow down

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

Ever told your child,

We'll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,

Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,

Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time

To call and say "Hi"?

You'd better slow down.

Don't dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won't last.

When you run so fast

to get somewhere

You miss half the fun

of getting there.

When you worry and

hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift.... Thrown away.

Life is not a race.

Do take it slower

Hear the music

Before the song is over