Time is an illusion.
Baby, we’re all just spinning, gninnips, spinning.
Electrons spinning in our tall, fleshy bodies, spinning on our big, wet rock, spinning in our bright, white solar system, spinning in our deep, dark galaxy, spinning in our brain-bustingly big universe.
Listen, this never ending swirly-twirly headtrip can be a bit much sometimes, so we try to place some delicate order on our bumpy, chaotic lives. Yes, we tack calendars on our kitchen cabinets with organized checkerboards of days and weeks and months. We make plans for Saturday night, sleep in on Sunday, and head to work Monday morning. See, now instead of swirling and twirling, we’ve got minutes and hours and days and weeks and months and years and lives.
Oh sure, maybe setting a calendar on the beautiful insanity of life is like placing a square of tissue paper on a hurricane. But without the structure and routine we’d just sort of wander around aimlessly forever, you know what I mean?
“Hey man, when you gonna finish college?”
“Dude, I dunno, maybe when my beard touches my knees?”
No, no, no, we need order, we want order, we crave order, we love order.
Order gives us birthdays, anniversaries, and hair appointments. Order gives us the recess bell, cake baking smell, and Christmas eves with the family. Order gives us company meetings, holiday greetings, and long weekends in the summer.
Order gives us a lot.
But people, sometimes it’s great to slow down and get swirly-twirly, anyway.
Sometimes it’s great to set up a crinkly tent on the damp edge of a gushing river and camp out under the stars with someone you love. Sometimes it’s great to shutter in and veg out on the pizza-sauce-stained corduroy couch during a snowy winter break at school. Sometimes it’s great to slap on baggy khaki shorts and a bright, flowery shirt and fly to a distant island just to lay on a hot, sandy beach in front of the blue, glittery ocean.
Sometimes it’s great to step back and stare at the clouds and trees.
Sometimes it’s great to let your thoughts float high and float free.
Sometimes it’s great to close your eyes and let it all just slip away.
Sometimes it’s great to forget the clock and dream a dream today.
AWESOME!
(There’s an update in the Book section)
Photos from: here, here, here, and here
43 Comments
November 18, 2009 at 2:28 am
Your absolute best awesome thing to date. Beautifully written.
January 4, 2010 at 11:23 pm
if u read the first sentence of ur post just after u read the poem-y ending above, it sort of fits in
November 18, 2009 at 3:20 am
AWZM!
November 18, 2009 at 4:10 am
What my hectic college life consists of… your entry was submitted on a much needed day, my friend. Thank you.
Awesome.
November 18, 2009 at 7:00 am
Me too, Elaine. And I am a professor!!!! Thanksgiving Break may save us all. Wonderful entry.
November 18, 2009 at 7:04 am
Phenomenal!!! :)
http://sahbapasta.tumblr.com
November 18, 2009 at 7:56 am
Great one! Slowing down is something I’m trying to work on more in my own life and I really do think it’s awesome!
November 18, 2009 at 8:45 am
Beautiful! Need to print this on a poster.
November 18, 2009 at 9:53 am
Totally love this writing.
GG:)
November 18, 2009 at 10:46 am
Nice one!
gninnips = spinning (spun backwards)
November 18, 2009 at 10:49 am
Like my musical friend Bruce Cockburn says, you got to Slow Down Fast.
I love the poetry in this entry. I feel like I could read this every day and love it just as much every time. I also hope that the Recess Bell gets its own entry someday.
November 18, 2009 at 11:21 am
Absolute spot-on entry for what I’ve been feeling lately. Whether it’s a good laugh or something just to sit and make you think “Wow. This is so true.”, this blog is the perfect start to every morning for me.
Thanks for writing…
November 18, 2009 at 11:47 am
everyone’s right. this entry was perfect for today. too much to do and so little time. i love getting caught up in the swirly-twirly headtrip.
November 18, 2009 at 11:52 am
I love slowing down all the time. Montauk Point here on Long Island is a nice place to relax.
November 18, 2009 at 11:54 am
I agree: this entry was just what I needed to read today. Beautiful.
November 18, 2009 at 12:28 pm
As much as I love and crave order, I also crave this to keep from going insane. Slowing down. The best awesome thing ever.
November 18, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I, too, needed this today. You constantly inspire me. Thank you :)
November 18, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Life feels better when its slowed down.
November 18, 2009 at 5:59 pm
this was an amazing post, i love this blog
November 18, 2009 at 6:17 pm
wow
November 18, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Great post man. Slow down everybody.
November 18, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Nice post!
November 18, 2009 at 7:47 pm
“…placing a square of tissue paper on a hurricane.” Love it. :)
November 18, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Great, great post. And trust me – after coming off a lengthy unemployment, I really enjoyed “being like the turtle”, and enjoying the lazy days and taking in each minute of each day. I knew those slow and sleepy days wouldn’t last forever, so I made the most of them while I had them.
But this post is a great reminder to take the time to do this all the time – not just in those exceptional circumstances. Great post!
November 18, 2009 at 9:57 pm
wow, this is perfect
never been to this website before
this is the first post i see
was just dumped yesterday
everything moved too fast anyway
ALL I WANT IS FOR MY LIFE TO SLOW DOWN
thank you for posting this
November 18, 2009 at 10:05 pm
“gninnips” … nice! Took me a minute but once I s.l.o.w.e.d..d.o.w.n… I got it!
And thanks for sending this lovely refrain meandering through my brain:
Got no deeds to do,
No promises to keep.
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep.
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me.
Life, I love you,
All is groovy.
November 18, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Easily my favorite “Awesome Thing” so far. Makes me glad I signed up for the emails. Wonderful writing – thanks!
November 18, 2009 at 11:50 pm
One of the best posts yet. Thank you.
November 19, 2009 at 12:45 am
Thank you!
Never seen this site before, but I’m glad I stumbled across it today.
This is just what I needed to realize.
November 19, 2009 at 4:19 am
nothing beats slowing down while on the beach with an ice-cold beer in hand… mmmm…..
leethroughthelens.blogspot.com
November 19, 2009 at 4:23 am
When you slow down you are able to think more clearly and objectively. This is important because then you are able to plan your life in the right way.
November 19, 2009 at 6:33 am
Slowing down after a super tiring month/year is simply a bliss.
You speed your way through, rushing every single day and things just seems like flash.
It’s good to rest and relax once in awhile. :)
November 20, 2009 at 3:01 am
Aww. maybe my favorite post. slowing down is the awesomest feeling.
November 20, 2009 at 7:11 pm
This is a great one. It used to frustrate me when people would take time to put everything away (i.e.: on the supermarket line or at a fast food drive through window), but I NEED to become that person.
I need to slow down, whether it be in everyday circumstances or taking a walk for peace of mind.
Excellent entry!
November 21, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Hi… i just wanted to tell you that this particulary post has helped me to make some desitions that I didn’t wanted to make, but I absoloutly need to.
I’m on my “slowing things down, growing up and moving on” mode.
thanks
December 3, 2009 at 2:10 am
good and proper
December 11, 2009 at 1:58 am
Perfection. That’s what this post is, I think I’ll print it out and hand it around.
December 14, 2009 at 4:43 am
Just want to say your article is brilliant.
January 4, 2010 at 11:19 pm
it took me like 5 seconds to figure out gninnips is spinning backwards.
January 6, 2010 at 5:35 pm
One of the best.
July 17, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Beautiful, gorgeous, and sweet.
Brings me back to memories of slowing down on a snowed-in weekend last winter at college. Spent it holed up in bed with the shades pulled and the breaths of my lover for a soundtrack. Whether we were loving, playing in the snow, or embarking into the cold wind in search of sandwiches, we were never more than a few feet apart. We were slowed down, and it was awesome.
July 19, 2010 at 6:13 am
… lunchtime doubly so.
August 21, 2010 at 10:21 am
wow, i read this post at the perfect time. It made me cry :’) and i didnt even get gninnips until the comments. My mum has been pushing me to slow down after coming out of a huge 2 months filled with performing, choir trips to new zealand, homework, 6 assignments, troubles with the parents and lack of sleep (not getting over 7 1/2 hrs every school night for 6 months). I have just started going to bed earlier, and getting organised with work. Thank you, Neil, for posting this. My favourite Awesome by far :)