In Praise of Slow....

I am currently reading Carl Honore's book 'In Praise of Slow' - its excellent and I spend my time nodding in agreement constantly.....

One thing that really stood out to me was the question:

To what extent is slowing down a luxury for the affluent?

Hmmm this really did get me thinking a lot - Christie I would especially love your thoughts on this (because you have experienced this from both angles and I think you have managed to live a slower life no matter what!) - but everyone that visits my blog - what are your thoughts?

I do think it is possible for anyone to slow down their lives and downshift out of the 'rat race' but I do think it is easier to do when you have a certain level of financial security....

I think for me at least it was easier to opt out of city life and move to the acreage because we could afford to - perhaps it wouldn't have been so much fun if we didn't have the vehicles, toys and comforts that make this lifestyle more enjoyable.....and Lloyds job and salary allows him to be at home more and have a calmer slower family life away from the office.....

But it isn't just money is it? Sometimes money can work in the opposite way if you aren't strong enough to stop it. At the weekend we drove around some of the expensive subdivisions in town - the million dollar homes on their 2 acre plots........

These are people with BIG money....yet it would be MORE difficult in some ways to slow down and downshift living there - there is so much of the 'keeping up with the joneses' philosophy in those subdivisions...........how easy it is it to go against that?

I am glad we opted NOT to live in a subdivision and I am glad that over the last 5 years we have managed to step away from the competitive ratrace......now we do things because WE want to - and not because its expected of us or society demands it.....we don't rush around for classes for the children and we don't over-schedule our lives......we take things SLOWly and its nice to read a book about a movement of people globally, who are all doing the same ;)

Everyone should read this book!