Speed
Speed, as the rate at which someone or something is able to operate, seems to have become simultaneously revered or feared.
Revered in the sense that it can be prized and appreciated to complete an activity or task with speed (of course accuracy and excellence are appreciated as well).
Feared in the sense that if life is simply sped through and if we don’t take time to slow down and smell the roses then we might miss something of high value or importance that we would otherwise be able to take in and experience; or even a fear that said task is completed inaccurately and mistakes are made. (I’m writing about fear here more in the sense of a strong feeling of hesitation — not necessarily a paralyzing threat.)
I’ve certainly found myself on both ends of the spectrum far too many times; and I’d dare to say that I can swing from one extreme to the other sometimes no less than 10 times in a day. Yes. 10 times. I’m not exaggerating. I can be a bit all or nothing in my thinking.
I get a thrill out of flying through a to do list or project and confidently checking off tasks that have been completed. I find it satisfying and come away feeling accomplished.
I’ve also had many seasons of life where due to health or other personal reasons I have been forced to slow down and come to realize that the speed or quantity of things I complete does not only not define my worth or value as a person, but also doesn’t provide enough of a buzz to leave me feeling satisfied and sustained.
So why is this? Why is it that we can tend to both revere and fear speed? Is one better than the other?
Let’s look at a few of the streams of thought that support each of them.
When we revere speed it may be because we value efficiency, the accomplishment-buzz, recognize that some things require speed in order to be feasible (i.e. speed of light — if it didn’t travel at 299792458 meters per second then sight and light as we know it would be a very different thing), we want to be able to enjoy riding in a fast car on the autobahn, we find it adventurous, cutting edge, it can stimulate growth and propel something forward . . . the list goes on.
When we fear speed it may be because we desire to value the steps and stages to completing said objective, don’t want to miss anything, desire to ensure that something is completed in excellence.
What if one stream of thought or natural lean is not necessarily better than the other? What if it’s possible for them to harmoniously interweave with each other and instill a sense of well-rounded awareness?
I’ve been thinking about these things in the context of my home and family.
Our house was originally built in 1894 and while in excellent condition, the portion of the house we live in has been a purposeful renovation project for the past 6 years. I entered into the story-line of the house and renovations 3 years ago and have often found myself earnestly longing that the rate at which we are completing our projects would exceed the rate at which I seem to be able to add to the list of tasks. I have far too often thought “How on earth can we SPEED UP these projects so that we don’t spend the next 10 years building?!”
However, I am steadily realizing that my expectations need to start lining up with reality. It’s unrealistic and even pretentious to think that we can do something and be something that we aren’t — professional-building-meisters with an infinite budget that can live on just air, coffee and sawdust.
I’m learning to embrace the speed that is appropriate and realistic for the season that we’re in as a family. While my husband is remarkable in innumerable ways, he nor I are meant to be saw-dust-eating-workhorses, rather we can choose to continue to treasure each step in the process of the building of our home and family.
May we all come to appreciate the rate at which someone or something is able to operate, namely ourselves and those closest to us.
Photo by Frankie Lopez on Unsplash
