Slow down now blog

[This is a guest post from Lynnette Rogers (a.k.a. the missus)]

I love the contrarian spirit of the slow movement. It runs so against the predominant grain of our culture. I think truly committed slow practitioners quickly see the benefits of slowing down – less stress, more enjoyment of life, better gas mileage. But I suggest that slow food, long baths, arriving early – these are aperitifs. True contrarians don’t stop there. They understand this is only the beginning, the peel, as it were, of the luscious fruit of absolute slow.

There is a hidden world of slow available only to the deeply committed. (By that I don’t mean institutionalized.) If you’re willing to risk more ridicule from your speedy friends and family, I suggest trying meditation. A warning: this should only be attempted by advanced practitioners. The most excellent benefits don’t begin to show up until after at least ten years of slow practice, if you’re lucky.

If you’ve spend any time watching the workings of your own mind, you’ve noticed the wild and fragmentary nature of thought. Add to this the shifting clouds of emotion you experience. Pile on the non-stop change in all your physical processes. In the face of this frenzied activity, it’s hard to make a case for a solid “you” in there. This, I suggest (and I’m not the first to do so), may be a primary cause of human suffering and discontent. It’s either this, or too much coffee.

Here’s where slow skills have much to offer. By sitting quietly, kicking into slow drive and just observing, we can discover some very cool stuff. There’s been much discussion over the years about what this might be, but with permission of the IINDM, I call it Absolute Slow. It’s possible to actually get relief for a little while from the tyranny of being oneself.

I’d be interested to know if anyone else has experienced your own version of Absolute Slow …

Tags: Talk Back by Christopher
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While searching around on Mad Gringo’s blog, I found a comment on the fact that only 6% of men (presumably in the US) wear neckties. Which got me to thinking about what the IINDM would think about such a statistic…

The neckwear issue is of vital importance to all of us here at the International Institute of Not Doing Much (IINDM). Our natural inclination is to resist change. As you probably know, our organization promotes the slow lifestyle. Frankly, our membership has not kept up. Some of our members still sport the starched and studded detachable collar. Most now wear the attached soft collar, which to us is the height of modernity. We have noticed of late that fewer ties have been seen. While we are all for a more relaxed world, we do feel we need to keep up certain standards. Much debate has ensued.

On the one hand, we agree that any unnecessary expenditure of energy in putting on a tie causes needless suffering. If life can be made easier, then we are all for it. But detractors say the good name or our organization and its long pedigree should be upheld and the wearing of ties is a tradition that should remain.

We eventually agreed that ties were not necessary as putting them on would be counter to our worldview of minimal effort and following the path of least resistance. But we don’t think this trend should go too far. Where will it end? Are trousers (pants) to be discarded next?

Tags: Talk Back by Christopher
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