Slow

After about a month of disinterest in reading, a book caught my eye on Goodreads that has gotten me out of my reading funk. In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honoré has opened my eyes to slowing down in all aspects of life. Not that I'm a rushed person, but I am extremely impatient for no apparent reason. Road rage boils over and I find myself yelling and whipping around the car slowing me down when I have plenty of time to get where I'm going. My Internet browser doesn't load fast enough and I give out an aggravated sigh and click refresh a thousand times (like that helps) and the list goes on. I hate feeling impatient, I hate what a grump it turns me into and for what?

I've only read about half way into the book, but I can already feel the effect it's had on me. I'm more aware of my surroundings, I don't let small things bring out my impatience and I take time to just do nothing. Something I didn't realize was so difficult until I forced myself to do it. It's amazing the things I notice that have always been there and how much more I can get done and enjoy when I'm not trying to multitask everything. Doesn't seem to make sense, but try it and I promise you will notice a difference! 

Another aspect of the book I love is his focus on eating and food in general, one of my favorite things (too much of a favorite sometimes!) We've become obsessed with convenience aka fast food and I am most definitely guilty of this. My excuses usually include not having a kitchen I enjoy cooking in and finding recipes for one person that can also be good leftovers; only one of those is still a good excuse in my mind. What it really comes down to is laziness, as most things do. Here he talks about a food movement that started in Europe, but now has a U.S. chapter and even a local chapter here in Utah! It's called Slow Food and it's all about eating locally and naturally grown produce and meats and taking the time to make a home cooked meal and even more time enjoying it. Cooking then sitting around for hours eating and relaxing? I can do that. 

Hopefully as I continue to read I'll only become more inspired and I plan on starting my venture into Slow Food as soon as possible, maybe starting with a Marghertia pizza, a craving I have yet to fulfill!