Pushing the Pause Button

Today’s fast-paced lifestyle seems to compress time and necessary activities.

When I was at university back in the early eighties, life allowed a pause button. That button appears to have disappeared, as one of my characters would say.

I wonder if we as a society will ever allow its reinstatement. The question arises by the simple expedient of our collective expectations concerning time. That has changed, at least for me and most of those I know.

The Pause Button

Back in the day, people could unwind at the end of a day’s work. They could go out to observe happy hour, laugh with friends, play with the kids, enjoy a leisurely meal, etc. That was the norm. There was a friendly competition with friends or family at the bowling alley or popcorn and sodas at the movies where deafness wasn’t an end product.

Sunday drives with the family after church afforded leisure, togetherness, and a mild sense of adventure. For those few hours the rest of the world was allowed to fade away. The mini-vacation was in play.

People’s lives are more complicated than ever before. Each child has one or more after school activities that take up family time, except during the commute to and from said activities. Parents may also have additional evening and weekend activities that don’t include the rest of the family. Everyone scatters and re-assembles at a more convenient time.

I’d hazard a guess that the Sunday drive has been replaced with less restful activity for most people today. There are fewer places anyone can go to get away from the modern world today. The ever-present cell phone has insured a quick response­-even for those who aren’t carrying theirs, one belonging to someone else disrupts one’s thoughts just as easily. Laptops, iPads, etc. intrude even deeper into non-work time. If you’ve managed to forget your own, there’s always one close-by to remind you that you’re not on yours.

NJS

News Junkie Syndrome, as I like to call it, has hit a large segment of the population. I believe the condition began decades ago with CNN availability followed closely by the internet. Most people, I think, know what it’s like to crave a news fix, even if it’s only about one event. Even children get caught up in the passion to know what’s happening elsewhere.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not condemning the media out of hand. In fact, a writer who doesn’t follow some form of media soon runs out of viable writing avenues.

Now Vs. Then

What concerns me is the fact that so many seem to believe they must/should be “plugged in” 24/7. That phrase is a household word anymore.

My question is this: is anyone any happier because they’re plugged in? Would they be less happy now if they’d never had technology’s little communications inventions? Would our families be any less scattered?

I suppose we can speculate about the answers to these questions all day. The bottom line is that we create our lives by the importance we place on the things, attitudes, and people we gather into them.

If we use our time wisely and well, we get to enjoy all of the facets of our lives. If you’re not enjoying something make a pause button for yourself. Take the time to study what is missing or what needs more attention. You don’t have to commit to a permanent change. Temporary maneuvering can give you the answer you need without committing to something for the long-term.

Having recently been through a major change in direction for my life, I can offer this experience. Be careful of the approach taken to make a major change. Sometimes the cost can be too high and the effects too permanent. The result may not be what you’re looking for.

And on that note, I’ll leave you to your own thoughts on the subject. I’ve pushed the pause button and get to explore contingencies and repercussions for a while. Good luck with your own explorations and adventures. I intend to appreciate those slower activities that cleanse the mind and uplift the soul. To do that, I think I’ll let Voicemil rule today and maybe tomorrow as well.

Until next time, a bientot.

Claudsy