Enjoying a more peaceful pace

o7Some of the secret joys of living are not found by rushing from

point A to point B, but by inventing some imaginary letters along the

way.

f7 -- DOUGLAS PAGELS

{LDQUO}Long time no see, Cindy. How are you? I’m glad that you’re

back, and I’m anxious to hear about your trip,” a friend said to me

recently. “I’m running late now, but I’ll call you to set a date for

coffee. I’m really busy, but surely we can find time to get caught

up. Welcome home, and I’ll see you soon.”

I told her I’d look forward to our visit, and asked her to call me

soon. We hugged, then she looked at her watch and told me she had to

run.

By the time I waved goodbye to her, I was waving to her back as

she walked quickly to her car. Yes, I thought to myself, I’m back in

America.

I chuckled as I thought about how different the pace of life is

here, compared with what I experienced and enjoyed for 10 days in

Poland.

I also thought about a conversation I had the night before I

returned home with an American who lives in Poland. He wished me well

on my travels, and also said, “Good luck with the reverse culture

shock.”

I knew what he meant, as does anybody who has visited places where

the pace of life is decidedly slower than it is in Southern

California.

I love traveling, and I love seeing how people live in different

places around the world.

I recently stayed with our daughter Kelly, son-in-law Ryan and

granddaughter Mary in Poland. They are living just outside of Krakow

for six weeks while Ryan does some work there. They are staying in a

wonderful house in the country, and I loved sharing in their lives

during that time.

I thought about one difference in the cultures when my friend

suggested we have coffee together. When I had coffee with my family

in Poland, we sat and talked at a little cafe. We never looked at our

watches, and we didn’t hurry.

We joked about the fact that you don’t think of ordering take-out

coffee there, because coffee is meant to be enjoyed as an event. I

did see a McDonald’s, and I’m sure they had coffee to go, but I was

never aware of a to-go mentality.

There is certainly nothing wrong with getting coffee to go, and

it’s a convenience I often enjoy. I also know that when I get

together with my friend, it will be an event, and we will sit and sip

as we visit. But I realize that I deeply enjoyed a sojourn where I

never rushed and was never in a hurry, and I appreciated the

difference.

Since I’ve been home, I’ve been purposefully trying to avoid

rushing.

This afternoon, I made tea and sat outside to purely enjoy the tea

and the day. It wasn’t as tasty as the tea Kelly made with fresh mint

from the garden at their house in Poland, but I enjoyed the

experience. I also thanked God for his many blessings.

I like the quote at the top of the column. It is a creative

reminder to think not just of rushing to certain destinations, but to

relish the different journeys along the way.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

[email protected] or through the mail at 537 Newport Center

Drive, Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.