11. Race

Rural living has always charmed me. Unfortunately, I live south of the metropolis so the urban life is something I have gotten used to. But the closest I could get to have a taste of a quiet life is early mornings, around five in the morning. The world is silent, the air is fresh, the streets more or less empty, perfect for a jog. It is in such time when the city is closest to nature. Ah, it is the picture of a perfect life.  

However, as the day unfolds, I notice people piling up on the streets, walking on a super fast pace catching the earliest ride to work. Cue in a humongous number of office ladies, salesmen, workers from the various sectors and there you have it, the morning rush hour. Traffic ensues and instead of reaching their office at the prescribed time, everyone falls late. It is definitely not a win-win situation. In the end, no one wins the race for being a punctual worker (Well, except if you leave your place 2-3 hours earlier.)

If you look at it on different aspects, everyday is a race, and a tough one at that, due to the influx of commercialism.  Everyone aims to be the prettiest, richest, most responsible, most mature, most powerful. Everyone is adding up speed to this already fast-paced society. In my case, I do not approve of such speed. In the process of being in a hurry, we tend to forget the most valuable things: ourselves, our beloved people, our sanity.

I was once a multitasking addict too. While it proved to be effective while I was a student, I realized that our efficacy decreases when we do not focus our powers toward one goal alone when I started working. This was further proven when I chose to observe the rural life. I truly appreciated how simple, not to mention healthy, their lifestyle is. They do not have quotas to meet; instead they are contented when a day’s work is done and they have provided enough food on the table and some savings on their pockets. They abstain from the media - the primary source of consumerism - as much as possible. They live by manual labor instead of abusing technology to do their every whim and desire. As long as they have survived a day safely, daily providence as we call it, they could sleep with smiles on their lips without worrying how their next day’s schedule will be like. Without stress and pressure from expectations, they are just living what each day has to offer.

If only the government could give each person a monthly salary delivered through ATM, plus provisions for the basic survival stuff, then this insane race would be over. But that would be wishful thinking and a far-fetched dream. The race is ongoing, but it’s an individual’s choice to participate or not. In my case, I have given up my race for expectations, against my demands, and against other people as well. Call me lazy or passive, but I simply chose not to be stressed out anymore. Remember the story about a man who have searched the world for his most important thing, only to find it when he returned home? Yes, that’s what I am pointing at.  

-mia-
10/03/2010 (date originally written)