Why is everyone in such a hurry these days? It doesn’t seem to matter where you go, everyone is trying to fast- forward their way through the day.
You see it on the roads, with drivers ignoring signals, passing you on the inside, weaving in and out of traffic, speeding and aggressively tail-gating someone who is keeping to the speed limit.
The supermarket is a prime example of people with no patience all in the one place that they so desperately want to get out of. Stand in a checkout line when an item needs to be replaced or there is a price check. The collective sigh of annoyance from those waiting is unbelievable. The look on the faces of drivers at drive-thru windows who are told to go to the waiting bay is priceless.
When did we become a society where fast food is just not fast enough? We are constantly looking for shorter versions of everything in life, especially our sporting codes.
It seems we don’t have the attention span or time to sit any more. We want it quicker and faster. I am as guilty of this as anyone. Last month I went over my data quota on my computer and my provider slowed my computer down as my penalty.
It drove me nuts, but it did give me time to think that we go through life in a constant blur – a bit like the coyote in the Road Runner cartoon series, and we all know how he ended up, every single time.
Even the age-old issue of partner selection has been microwaved with speed dating.
Mind you, there are some professions which have bypassed this new genre of service.
When was the last time you sat for anything less than half an hour in your doctor’s surgery? Have you ever spent less than 15 minutes on hold for a power company or one of the phone providers?
It’s usually when someone dies that we reflect on these things, but why not do it before then and enjoy the moments instead of being so impatient for each one to end? Because one day they will, and it might not be in the way you’d like.
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■ If you have any news or events, let me know at kevin@howdypartnersmedia. com.au
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