Missing the last bus home made me rethink my rush

I was late leaving the office and sprinted to the stop just as the bus drove off. My heart sank and I kicked myself for not being faster. With an hour until the next bus, I felt stuck and annoyed. Instead of waiting, I decided to start walking toward my house. As I went, I saw little things like flowers in yards and a cat napping on a fence. I heard neighbors laughing and smelled dinner cooking somewhere. It struck me that I rush through every day and never see this stuff. Now I try to leave early so I can walk and notice more around me.

3 comments

3 Comments

noah_brown5d ago

I get @cameronward's point about rushing to get more done, but is it really that big a deal to slow down sometimes? Missing one bus and seeing some flowers isn't going to solve all your problems. We all need to chill, but let's not act like it's life-changing.

julia_price684d ago

Actually got to the cafe like 20 minutes early yesterday because my bus was weirdly on time. Ended up just watching people walk their dogs for a bit instead of pulling out my laptop right away. It didn't fix my weird client feedback, but my brain felt less scrambled for a little while.

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cameronward5d ago

Rushing lets you pack more into your day and hit those tight deadlines at work. Slowing down to notice every cat on a fence might mean you skip the gym or miss out on time with family. In a lot of places, walking isn't safe or practical after dark, so relying on the bus schedule is just smart. Don't you get more stressed when you're running behind on your plans?