The second best time

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” ~Chinese Proverb

We live so fast in these modern cities. Technological progress no longer marches, it sprints. Any new computer development has a half-life of six months before it’s obsolete. And all of it is geared toward giving us instant gratification: fast food, broadband, microwaves, smart phones, IM. Reality television, talent shows like X Factor. Andy Warhol may have talked about 15 minutes of fame, but we seem to have taken that as the length of time required to achieve fame and fortune. Meanwhile we know that anything we do achieve so instantly, doesn’t last.

What matters is track record, is the ability to achieve results over and over again. Instant gratification culture has left us with an overdose of one-hit-wonders and flashes in the pan. Is it any wonder we’re starting to set more store by track record again? It’s a slow, subtle, almost undetectable shift, but it’s there: in the growing Slow Food movement, in the downsizing trend, even in the Green movement. Some people are starting to realise that we can’t always greenhouse everything, and nor should we.

Crops take time to grow, even with fertilisers, irrigation, pesticides and GM seeds. Quality takes time to create – we all know we make more mistakes, do a shoddier job when we rush things. So why do we, perpetually, feel the need to rush? If enough of us opt out of this incomprehensible “need for speed” the dominant paradigm will shift, change down a couple of gears and we can enjoy the scenery again, knowing that we will still reach the destination, just with richer memories of the ride.