10/07/2019

Why We All Need to Join the Slow Movement

Getting stuck in fast-forward takes a heavy toll

Every parent knows that children like bedtime stories read at a gentle, meandering pace. But I used to be too fast to slow down with the Brothers Grimm. I zoomed through the classic fairy tales, skipping lines, paragraphs, whole pages. My version of Snow White had just three dwarves in it. “What happened to Grumpy?” my four-year-old son would ask.

Then, one day I caught myself eyeing up a collection of One-Minute Bedtime Stories–yes, Snow White boiled down to 60 seconds–and that’s when the alarm bells started ringing.

Thankfully, I never bought the fast fables. Instead, I became the voice of the Slow Movement. Don’t worry, though: I’m not a slowness fanatic. Faster is often better–we all know that. The Slow philosophy means doing everything at the right speed–fast, slow or whatever works best. It means being present and living life rather than rushing through it.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Maria Shriver.