I have an old soul.
Today in my US History class we were talking about Thoreau, specifically this quote
“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”
We talked about how people are desperately busy.
We are always walking around with headphones in our ears
Phone in hand.
Listening, talking, texting, running from one thing to the next.
I’m guilty of this too.
the real question is
FOR WHAT?
I think many people are afraid of the silence.
They are afraid to be alone with themselves and their thoughts.
I think the technology we have is amazing.
However, I think it would do everyone good to put the phone down, turn off the computer, or the tv, and take the headphones out, and see what we would learn.
Take time to deal with the silence.
Take time to face yourself, and look inside yourself.
Sometimes we all need a reminder to slow down.
So when life gets tough, change your perspective.
Realize sometimes it’s okay not to do everything.
Find joy in the journey.
“life is to be enjoyed, not just endured” Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
It made me think of this song.
I’ll let Billy Joel take it from here.
As I'm sitting here writing this from my blackberry as I wait to pick jake up from school, I know what busy is but I know what lonely is too. Its crazy how you can experience both at the same time. But I've gotten better at it. I'm reading Eat Pray Love and one of my favorite things she says is this "when I get lonely these days I think to myself "so be lonely Liz" sit with it for a while, make a map of it, welcome to the human expereince." I've told myself this a lot lately. And Billy is right, we need to slow down.
ReplyDeleteNice post. Just this morning we were sitting at the pediatrician's office and I watched as both parents were intently busy with their phones while their child sat by herself on the floor. Sad!
ReplyDeleteThe irony of it is that while I'm typing this to you my son is clamoring for attention and pulling on my legs. Time to log off. :)