Have you noticed the change happening around you? Sometimes Yes and at times No. For few things Yes and for other s No. I am sure you would have noticed a new shopping mall coming up even in your neighbouring city. But did you notice the flower blossoming in your garden or just a flowerpot? I am sure more than Yes the answer is No. You would have noticed a Mercedes or Skoda driving by you, but have you noticed that boy walking slowly in the ration line? Why? Why do we not notice such things? There could be many reasons for it, but one of the things which I feel is the reason behind is, “Speed”.
Everything nowadays is moving really fast. It is not just moving fast, but being fast seems to be the only criteria to be good. If it’s not the only then surely the first criteria to be best. What’s not moving fast? Only a few of those.
1. Dance – Fast western, bollywood dance has taken over all other dances. The movements are so fast. Lately I noticed that in a screening event for a dance selection the person who did a Indian classical was rejected by saying that he does not know other dance forms. At the same time no question was asked to the dancer who performed a fast bollywood dance if he knows classical or not!!!!
2. Fight forms – The fighting forms has also gone fast. Recently I was reading an article from Jet li (I am sure people who know martial arts knows Jet li).He wrote that fighting is so fast that it is hard to even notice the movements. It has become pure competition and it has taken away the individuality of the fighting style. No beauty, no individuality just speed.
3. Work – Everyone is trying to deliver the things fast. To show oneself as faster than other anything is committed. And people believe that what happens fast is better. But what is the impact, who has the time consider it?
4. Food- How many people love to cook just for the love of it. Everyone is for fast food. People do not have time to enjoy the food, they just want to fill the stomach, get relieved of those churns and move on. Or it is only cooked for business. There are some people who still love their food and some are fighting for it too.
5. Sex- One of the natural act of the any living being almost. Humans and Dolphins are the only species to have it for pleasure (not sure about the others). Humans have long talked and written about the difference between love and sex. One may call it playing with words. But this is also moving on the same dimension of speed.
What about the love of life? The slow walk in the evening, the food we enjoy, the care with mother care for her child with all the patience and slowness in the world? What happened to all that? What are we losing when we are moving fast? We lost the tigers, sharks and many other animals in the speed to show ourselves as the fastest killer, the satisfaction of life in the race to be rich, the love of mother in the race to grow faster, lost the family in the race to be individual, lost the quality in the race to produce quantity, lost the fun in the race of competition, lost the humanity in the race to be the best religion.
There are some initiatives being taken to counter the speed. There are some Slow Movement initiatives being taken. I am not sure how successful those would be. But, I believe people will realize the impact of this speed, this race to reach somewhere, this competition with each other, before everything is destroyed, before there is no more tigers to kill, before there are no more families to make individuals and before there is no life.
Love
Arundeep