Slow it down!!

I never thought I would hear those words out of myself.

For so many years, I revered sleep. I could easily sleep the clock around. I had a true love affair with sleep. As a result, I slept as late as I could, which naturally caused me to race around frantically in the morning so I would not be late.

I remember that I had the timing down perfectly in high school! The bell rang at 8:10. I lived precisely 12 minutes away, but it took a few minutes to park and get into the building. I managed my shower in 3 minutes, cosmetics in 1 minute, and teeth brushing took 45 seconds. I didn't worry about my hair because I blew it hair dry with open windows on the way to school. Dressing took 2 minutes. Yes, I was a teenage girl who woke up to the last alarm at 7:40 and still made it to school on time. I even amazed my friends. (My mother just shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Poor Mama.)

Did you notice the "last alarm" mentioned above? I loved sleep so much, I found it absolutely essential to set several wake-up alarms. As much as I enjoyed my love affair with sleep, clocks and I had a reciprocal arrangement. Their blaring, trumpeting calls intruded on my ultimate enjoyment, decimated my beautiful dreams, and brought me abruptly to a new day against my will! I despised them! I have broken quite a few over the years: they do not hold up well to crashing, banging, throwing, and smacking. (Personally, I am very impressed with myself because I can honestly say that I now have owned the same clock for 5 years! And, it still works!)

I learned something, though. Starting my day "racing" like that set a trend for my life. I raced to finish school. I raced to grow up. I raced to be a Mom and get a good job. I raced to be on-time for every occasion. I raced to the store, just because I could. I raced to work and the movies and the gas station and anywhere else I had to go. Because I didn't know any other way.

Now? I live in the slow lane.

I was fairly hurt in a bad accident, which put me in a wheelchair for a while. You know what I learned? To plan! There is no "racing" anywhere in a wheelchair, especially to the restroom! Especially if someone is using the handicapped stall because they had to take all their purchases into the restroom with them. Or, if you get there and discover that the main entrance is about 2 cm too small to fit the chair.

I learned to wake up earlier. I no longer had to race, because I couldn't. How did this change me? I slowed down. I slowed down everything I did and I mellowed out. After a few years of practice, I discovered I actually LIKE the slower, mellower me. I enjoy things more. I have a deeper appreciation for the small things in life. I think I also became a better mom.

I actually take the time to fix my hair (a little bit) and put on makeup in the morning. Why? Because it makes ME feel better about myself.

I drive a Jeep Wrangler, meant for crawling over obstacles, not racing around them. I also drive a little 150cc Scooter. Definitely not racing material! But I enjoy it so very much.

I may be slower, and a little older, but I really enjoy my life so much more this way!!

So if you are driving along and fuming at the slow, old fart piddling along in front of you, just do me a really huge favor, ok?

DON'T RUN ME OVER! :)