"Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save." - Will Rogers

It's a rarity that I get a 'restful' sleep. Ever since childhood, I've had a great deal of trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Also, I've been plagued with 'night terrors' since a young age, and from time to time, I still wake drenched in sweat and screaming. The other night, I was once again victim to my subconscious. What I had dreamt escapes me, but it was clear that I would not be going back to sleep.

I decided to watch a documentary on the National Geographic Channel that piqued my interest on the Zo'e tribe, one of the few Amazonian tribes still in existence. One portion of this documentary really resounds in my head and forces me to ponder the American way. The Zo'e hunt the indigenous primates with spears, and this is their main source of nourishment. They crouch silently and wait until the primates come out of hiding [Crouching Zo'e, Hidden Monkey]. They spend quite a bit of time plotting, wordlessly, as to the best route of attack. However, actually accomplishing their goal and killing one of these creatures takes a long time; they sometimes hunt all day for just one meal. Yet, they have the admirable patience to do so.

In America, everything revolves around instant gratification: fast food, eight-minute abs, rush-delivery, sound bites, one-liners, instant coffee, frozen dinners, the Internet, leaked albums, "spoilers," credit cards [buy now, pay later], pay-at-the-pump [we can't even walk to the cash register], products that are faster than their competitor, win the war NOW. It's an 'atrocity' that one must wait for anything, whether it's in a five-minute line at the bank or post office or for a few brief seconds at a red light. People will even get up and walk out of a film that they have paid $8 to see if it does not instantly strike them as being of quality.

Ralph Waldo Emerson took note of this frightening tendency, even 150 years ago, when he spoke of "this shallow Americanism, with its passion for sudden success."

Whatever happened to hard work, a job well-done, earned success, home-cooked meals, saving up for something desired, libraries, reading the newspaper, reading AT ALL? If the average American were told they would have to work all day for one meal, imagine the response. They would most likely scoff, jump in their SUV, and have a Big Mac in their possession in five minutes.

I can't deny a slight hypocrisy, as I have been raised in "Generation Me" and have been surrounded with this American instant gratification for the majority of my life. I enjoy digital photography, as I can instantly see my photographs on the display and make adjustments to my camera settings. However, I adore the black and white film process and feel a deep satisfaction when a print that I have spent an hour developing and fine-tuning is finally completed. When I come home and am exhausted, the convenience of a microwavable vegetarian burrito is a comfort. I conduct the majority of my research on the Internet and my credit card is currently as good as maxed out.

One of the most important lessons I've ever learned was in Jamaica. I was [as cliche as it may be] getting my hair braided by one of the locals. I knew that the time was fast approaching that I was to meet up with some friends. I questioned the woman as to what time it was and how much longer it would take to finish the braids. She laughed, a deep belly-laugh, and said to me, "Girl, you Americans so preoccupied. You in Jamaica, darling. No worries about time, here. You relax. Forget the clock." No wonder Americans are so stressed out and unhealthy, as a whole. With such a focus placed upon time, how can one's time on this earth every truly be enjoyed?

I challenge every individual reading this to spend an entire day without looking at a clock/time-telling device even ONCE.
I challenge you to go on an aimless walk, soaking in everything around you, with no ultimate destination. I challenge you to take the five-minute walk somewhere, instead of the 30-second drive; it's good for the soul in addition to the environment. I challenge you to get lost in conversation with someone. I challenge you to spend a day [or more] volunteering with a charity, rather than completing items 6, 10, and 72 on your most recent "to-do list." I challenge you to meditate.

Our time on this earth is precious and the one thing that cannot be recovered once it is lost.
How are you spending YOURS?