is it worth it?
Written by Travis on October 21st, 2009
On my way downtown this morning, I stopped into Gracelands, my favorite local café to grab a coffee to go. I walked up to the counter and asked for a “take away” cappuccino. The American interpretation of this is a cappuccino to go. With a smirk, the gal working the counter, who I have gotten to know a little bit over my time here in London asks, “where and why are you in a hurry to take-away?”
This is a great question- nowhere really. I need not be in a hurry. I am sure as I walked away, she thought to herself, “that dumb American.”
I have become so accustomed to productivity, busyness, hurry, making sure that I use every moment wisely in my life, that I have lost the grace and ability to sit down and enjoy a morning cappuccino. Something they here in England, value and hold onto dearly- their coffee break (which by the way is a real break).
As I walked to the tube thinking about this short interaction, and then found myself being the only one in on the packed tube with a coffee in hand, I began to wonder. What is it in me that I feel I ought to be in such a hurry, always on the go? Recognizing, in the States, I’ll even drive through a Starbucks because I have someplace to be, often in a hurry- a normal thing right?
Why is it, when this gal asks me a question about my take away coffee, she is somehow asking a deeper question for me of worth, value, and identity?
Why must I fill my time with things I deem to be productive? Why do I wonder so often why there are so few hours in a day?
What do I loose if I am not continually being “productive”?
Who is the one defining productive?
Is it necessary? At the end day, is what I fill my time with really that important?
21
AM
Hey brother, we’ve really grow to love that our there. 5 hour dinners at friend’s houses. Going out to eat and spending 3 hours because that is just how long it takes (mostly waiting to get the bill!). It does slow down the pace of life and allow you to actually be in the present in a real way, which is often hard for us Americans.
21
PM
LOVED your post today Travis! SO TRUE!!! In fact, I think I will grab a java and re-read this again and let it REALLY SINK IN! Right now I have 7 screens open on the computer, and a desk filled with about 5 half-done projects, and a to-do list not far from reach. This post is just what I needed today, thanks for sharing!Hope you are enjoying London!!
22
AM
Hmmmm. Lorri, thanks for sharing. Isn’t that the vain of our existence. Busy, productive, doing… and then we wonder why our spirituality, is caught up in the same “work as hard as you can” foundations? I could use this message every morning, I wish every Starbucks worker had the ability to ask me, “Trav how is your identity found in the busyness of your day today…”
22
AM
Kyle, the 5 hour dinners. I know exactly what you mean. They just operate at a different pace around here. It is so much part of our DNA as Americans, it can almost be uncomfortable at times. And by almost I mean it is- all the time. Love you and Miss you brother. I wish I was on this content longer or else I would swing up and see you guys.