The ‘slow’ movement is making slow progress. Most of us continue to be in the ‘rat race’ which has a tantalising possibility of making us Richie Rich. Many modern gurus exhort us to give the much-needed rest to our adrenal glands. However, the laid-back people are already in that state. And they are as vital to the society as the ones with Type A personalities.
Those who find it difficult to counter the inertia of rest are allies of planet earth- they have minimal carbon footprint. Because of them, there are fewer traffic jams and smog is kept at bay. Most of them have done extensive travels around the world- via travel channels on television. They also avoid domestic holiday trips with excuses like chances of bumping into an old enemy, risk of bomb blasts carried out by terrorists and risk of contracting swine flu. Even when persuaded to visit a tourist place with the aid of emotional blackmail, they end up watching television or playing cards.
The media & entertainment companies should be indebted to the couch potatoes who do binge watching of OTT and television channels. Many other segments of the economy are benefited including manufacturers of cushions, recliners, potato chips and instant popcorn. Energy drinks have as much impact on them as criticism has on Donald Trump.
At home, they often use mobile phones to converse with their family members especially when living in a multi-storied building. Many join gyms, especially in the first week of January. But they attend for a few days and then do the workouts in their dreams.
The procrastinators go with the dictum- don’t do today what can be put off till eternity. A friend of mine recently discovered a hand-written five-year old to-do list while cleaning a drawer. He found that seventy percent of his present to-do list resembled it- and he wasn’t surprised. Whenever his domestic help goes on leave, he goes into clinical depression.
The ones who live in a state of self-imposed house arrest, are favourites of online shopping and food delivery companies. Though inactivity may predispose them to health issues, this is offset to some extent by the low stress levels because of paucity of ‘I want to fly high in the sky’ type of feeling. Also, they are least likely to commit a crime or participate in rioting- another big plus for the society.
There is a chap in our colony who has acquired wealth in the easiest way- through inheritance. He has been aptly nicknamed Fursat Kumar. Once I was in the mood to poke him. So, I asked, ‘What is your aim in life?’ Pat came the reply. ‘I have already achieved my ambition of living a heavenly life. While you guys look forward to Sundays, for me, every day is a Sunday.’
Some live life in the slow lane by the dint of their smartness.
Many youngsters delegate their mundane tasks to the family members, especially the doting parents and the time gained is utilized for gaming and social media. If the parents see through this and point it out to them, they are told to ‘chill’. A teacher, who takes online classes, conveyed to me that at any particular time, approximately one third of her students report as sick. As for the favourite excuse, back pain has given way to flu and fever.
It is an irony that many motivational speakers who tell us to ‘slow down’ have hectic schedule for themselves!
