A rose by Dani Gama on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Modern men don't like waiting. We like fast cars, fast women, fast fame, fast fortune, fast food. The faster the better.
Except for one thing... Raise your hand, who wants a quickie life?
Ah, it is as I suspected, not many takers. We don't want death to find us in a hurry.
And yet, our mortality drives our need for speed. I know I try to outfox mortality. The clock is ticking and I need to pack as much living as I can I fit into this life. I take shortcuts to squeeze more in and wind up squeezing the soul out.
The things that feed my soul -- family, friends, love, food cooked slow, exploring passion -- are the things I neglect. The minimum daily requirements for a nourishing life don't come in a quickie version. So I set them aside for when I have time, when my work is caught up, when I've achieved this or that important thing.I rush through my days, giving the heart of life attention that is the equivalent of popping vitamins instead of eating meals.
When Mimi--my good friend and mentor-- died, I had to stop and reconsider.
There is an old Danish proverb that says: The road to a friend's house is never long. Yet, somehow my life grew too busy to stop by for a visit. Rather than make time, I sent postcards, made the occasional phone call. And now there is no undoing the loss of her company. I can't unchoose whatever thing it was I believed more important then spending time with her over a meal we cooked together. There is no way to claim the wisdom, love, laughter we didn't get to share.
So now I am downshifting, pulling into the slow lane, working to flavor my life with the things that matter, the woman who matters. May is my stop-and-smell-the-flowers month, my stop-and-kiss-a-special-flower month, my savor-her-sweet-petals month...er..sorry, this love makes my mind wander.
I encourage you, mes amis, to join me in the slow lane. Make a plan to make a memory, do something special with someone special, something to savor for a lifetime. And don't be afraid to share your recipe for cooking up a special memory.
~Jacques Bond
* * *
Thank you, Nine Naughty Novelists, for inviting me to guest blog today.
This post is a character blog in response to The Carry On Tuesday prompt for May 11th --
The road to a friend's house is never long
Jacques Bond(the bogging bondage chef) is the hero in my new novel, The Dungeon Gourmet. Carry on Tuesday is a weekly prompt provided to inspire bloggers and the blogging characters who inhabit their imaginations. You can see what other Carry on Tuesday participants wrote here.
~Nara Malone
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11 comments:
Wow, I love that quote, Nara! Thanks for visiting and sharing!
Erin
Hi Nara,
Life does seem to pass us by so quickly. We all need to slow down and take a step back sometimes.
Hi Nara, thanks for visiting us! The Carry On Tuesday idea is really neat.
I especially love this line:
>>> The minimum daily requirements for a nourishing life don't come in a quickie version. <<<<
A lot of juiciness here...
oh, and thank you for commenting on my carry on tuesday poem....
Read my Carry On Tuesday poem here.
Ah, Jacques, I think you have discovered the secret to sanity. We all watch the world speed by as our daily schedule becomes more and more hectic. For our health and sanity we all need to “stop-and-smell-the-flowers” and especially to “stop-and-kiss-a-special-flower” as you so aptly put it. I had the opportunity to do just that on Friday, and I am now rejuvenated for a little while, at least. And Jacque, you need to attend to your favorite recipe- Sarai, before the ingredients go stale.
I can’t wait to see what new things are in store for Sarai, what new courses shall adorn her plate.
@Erin I always love visiting with the 9NN.
@Debra Yes, we do need to slow down now and then. I know I'm guilty of getting too caught up in the rat race.
@Meg Carry On Tuesday is one of my favorite prompt sites. Keith picks great quotes to inspire us.
@Julie I learn so much about writing by reading your poems.
@David I'm glad Jacques' point of view adds something to your sanity. Sometimes he makes me question mine. :)
Oooh Bond is so sexy and he makes food sound so sexy too, this is a great story Nara! And welcome back to the Naughty Nine.
Sigh, the last 2 comments are from me
:-)
I've lost my mind, but don't worry about me I'll be fine!
Slowing down is good advice, but hard to do. I have tried to keep mine at an easy pace for as much as I can. Doesn't always work out, and sometimes I think it shouldn't. The main thing is to make people you care about your priority.
@Kelly Thanks for your help with the post and for taking time to comment. Computers will make you lose your mind. I can't seem to find mine.
@Alice I think you're right Alice, slowing down isn't always good and as long as the important people are your focus, the rest will sort itself out.
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