City Pace

I have been back in the city for two weeks due to a family medical incident.  All is well on that front and my daughter is recovering nicely, but the pace of a city grabs back onto you quickly and before you know it you are back in a rush.  Visiting my daughters has been supreme; I miss them alot! But the city... I do not miss that!

For many months now in the country I have been practicing things like running errands once a week instead of every day running an errand, single tasking vs. multitasking, eating a more wholesome and pure diet, slowing down and showering in the evening, taking vitamins, drinking a slow cup of tea, working in my garden and sewing.

Two weeks back in city life and I have ran some sort of errand everyday--I mean there is everything so close and it makes you think of things you "need.".  I find myself munching on bagged popcorn this morning (honestly I did not even know this existed).  I keep skipping my vitamins- I just don't take the time.  Tea is made but left to sit while I hustle doing other "necessary" things.You get the picture. I think in a nutshell I just feel hurried again.  Traffic is fast and folks are short with you while servicing you as they have many other things to do and I am just caught up in life in the fast lane again.  It is amazing how quickly this happens-- we are not talking days or weeks here but hours!

Today I drive my daughter back home to south Georgia where the pace is slower.  Saturday I head back to my home out in the country. It makes me wonder why it feels so different.  I have heard it said that you can change location but not the way you react.  I am not so sure about that any more.  I think location has much to do with how you feel and react.  Slow begets slow and fast begets fast.  Polite begets politeness and rudeness begets rudeness.  Maybe the key is to be the instigator or slow, polite, calm and deliberate no matter where you are. Some of the most grounded people I know live in the midst of a big city.  Maybe my changing with the location has more to do with my lack of commitment to my values than to the surroundings.    Am I that easily swayed?  Apparently so. It has been a real eye opener being back.  Next time maybe I can bring the "country" here rather than absorbing the "city" while here.

What do you think?  Similar experiences and lessons?