skim
Winter can be a time to slow down and avoid the tendency to skim. I think we have substituted thoroughness with speed, and with speed comes an opportunity for appearing uninterested. There are so many factors that influence the need to skim, the obvious being busy lives, but I think it's much more than that. We're so bombarded with information from various devices, that we need to be always on our game so we can merely keep up. Years ago, the pace of life was slower.
I can remember getting the local paper delivered to my house every morning and my father, an immigrant from Norway, reading the paper at the breakfast table. I'm sure he didn't take too much notice to the sports page on the back cover. We hardly were raised to be sports-enthusiasts. Once in a while we would go to a Mets game. During one of those trips, I and my brothers bought baseball hats from other teams. We didn't think anything of it, although those in the crowd probably thought we were a bit odd- rooting for the Mets but wearing another teams' hat. I just picked the one that appealed to me the most. But getting back to my point, before my dad went to work, he took the time to read the paper, a rarity these days.
It's so much more than not reading the newspaper. It's being distracted and inattentive. Are we really listening to the conversation or just gleaning enough to get the gist of what's being said? Here are some things I find myself skimming through; emails, magazines, websites, text messages, TV channels, Netflix and on and on it goes. I'm spending less and less time being deliberate and thorough. I jot things down on random pieces of paper in a haphazard way only to forget what and where I wrote something down. It's time to make some changes.
It's time to give those I communicate with my undivided attention. It's time to listen on the phone and not simultaneously search the web. It's time to read more than the headlines or the back of the sports page, metaphorically speaking of course. It's time to slow down, just enough to be present, improve my listening skills and engage.
One way to achieve this goal, and I think the winter season allows this a bit more, is to wake up earlier and go to bed earlier (unfortunately, Netflix, Hulu and the like have captured our attention). In the winter, we tend to spend more time indoors. I suppose the shorter days and colder weather encourages this, so with more time at home, we should be more inclined to slow down. I like to wake up early and see the sun usher in the day. It's a chance to enjoy a cup of coffee, have a little quiet time and organize my thoughts. Eating dinner earlier is also a good thing. Maybe I'll try eating a late breakfast, skipping lunch and have an early supper. A less caloric intake can't be a bad thing either.
I suppose I'm feeling like I'm missing out on important things by being inattentive as I’m actually practicing the art of skimming. Today, I'll try to be better. I'll try to listen more, eat slower, look at the sky longer, read the full article, and be more present in my interactions with people. This might be one of the best aspects of winter. It's an opportunity to explore new practices that come along with a New Year. It's a new season to be a bit more conscious of who I am and who I want to be.
The picture on top exemplifies what I’m trying to express and obtain. It was taken in California in the month of January. The wine orchard is resting in the winter. It’s soaking in the sun and preparing for spring, but all the while being rejuvenated. It’s not in a rush. There’s no skimming going on. Just rest and peace and relishing in glorious day. Moment by moment.
