Photo by Rosanne Jordan
Thought for the Week
I hate the fact that adverse experiences teach me more than easy-peasy-everything-pleasey ones do, but like it or not, it’s true. Yet I often fail to learn the lessons they offer, and am always surprised when I do learn something. Perhaps this is because I’m stubborn and boneheaded. Wait—lose the “perhaps.”
Recently, two things have taught me the power of slowing down:
First, after three months of trying to avoid using my injured left thumb, it finally occurred to my boney little brain that the only way I’m going to effectively avoid aggravating the injury is to pause, remind myself not to use it, and orchestrate an alternative. Result? There are signs my thumb may finally be healing.* Also, the slow-down approach has started spilling over into my other perpetually clumsy behaviors, causing me to bump into things less, spill my coffee less, and make my wife roll her eyes less.
Second, I caught a fluff story on my newsfeed about Rebel Wilson’s spectacular weight loss—one of the keys to which is simply chewing each bite of her food a minimum of forty times. Why is this relevant? Because I have a persistent problem with acid stomach, much of which is caused by eating like a snake (swallowing my food whole). So, along with all this thoughtful thumblessness, I’ve started super-chewing. Result? I’m savoring my food again, eating less and enjoying it more, appreciating the subtleties of well-prepared dishes and textures of whole foods. And, while I’m chewing, I’m savoring the moment, my surroundings, and most importantly my dining companion.
In fact, slowing down is affecting my overall behavior, causing me to take better note of what’s happening around me, and be more aware of what I’m doing. But most importantly, it’s making me a little more sensitive to what’s going on with other people. In fact, I think the biggest lesson of all in this slowing down business is that there’s potential healing and savoring in it for others, as well, subtle providential empathy.
And that’s the best lesson of all.
*If this doesn’t do it, I promise to see a specialist (he said stubbornly and boneheadedly).
Mitch Teemley 
Hmm, suppose there’s a lesson here for my two decades of fibromyalgia, not to say yes to everything even though I “look” lazy this way? I must be a slow learner, but this resonates. Yes, thumbs can be fixed. And it’s amazing how quickly the human body knits itself back together, beginning in the OR! (Lots of experience with that as well.)
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I’ll bet, Joy!
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Isn’t fibro fun? It robbed me of 5 years worth of teaching, but the slowing down (albeit forced) allowed me to regain enough energy to enjoy retirement!
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I still need three 25-minute naps each day to calm down the pain and exhaustion, but I’m working on my third book in three years. I’m so thankful that brain fog is no longer an issue!
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It was the brain fog that made me quit teaching. I was unable to function in the classroom and since I was teaching statistics to second year university students, it was especially important! Interestingly, my hubby and I have travelled extensively since my retirement and I am now settling down to write what I hope will be my first book.
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Hurrah for that first book! I’m still 7 quarters short of having enough for Social Security (and disability, which I was experiencing), because of the brain fog. Hmm, I might live long enough to earn them after all
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Hi again! I was very fortunate and blessed with a sympathetic department chair who supported my application for long-term disability and an insurance plan with my university that recognised the legitimacy of fibro as a disability. They did stop paying almost immediately after I turned 65!
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I was able to get it set up for a Bosnian woman who came here as a refugee, but she had earned enough quarters of coverage. It took a senator’s office to get it done, as it had been denied to her before.
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Being Canadian, some of what you’re saying doesn’t make too much sense to me, but I get the idea. You’re a good person!
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She’s a friend and I watched her go downhill. I figured she’s exactly who that disability law was made for! She’d been working four double shifts a week as a nurse, and just couldn’t do it anymore.
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We should move this conversation to your site or mine so we don’t clutter Mitch’s site with it!😊
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;>)
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Good idea. When I turned seventy I gave up five black diamond downhill skiing. Now that I’m eighty, I thank the heavens that I gave up five black diamond skiing.
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John, are you suggesting that if you had not given up black diamond skiing you might not have seen eighty?
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I’m almost certain. Nothing like a rickty set of bones heading down a slope still thinking he’s thirty.
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Hahaha love the visual though
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I know right? I’ll give you one more. The ski patrol using a vacuum to pick me up after that spectacular 360 degree flip and fall.
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So the Winter Olympics are out for you this year, then?
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They called me for a tryout but I couldn’t get to the phone fast enough so I missed my chance. 😁
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;>)
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I think your words today are the most useful for me personally. I shall chew slowly on the thought and hopefully on my food
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Great post about acceptance and being mindful. Thanks Mitch! 🙂
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My pleasure, Liz.
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Good for you, Mitch. Life is better in the slow lane! ❤🙏✝️
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Well good notes here for all of us. The chewing thing hit home for me. Thanks, Mitch.
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My pleasure, Steve.
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Interesting.
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I enjoyed Mitch!
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Makes total sense 🙂 I recent encounter with Omicron has forced me to slow down.
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How’s your recovery coming, Rosaliene?
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I’m not sure, Mitch. I think I’m better and then I’m not. Right now, I’m holding to make an appointment with my primary physician.
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Praying for a complete and permanent recovery soon, Rosaliene!
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Slowing down also helps us enjoy the moment better. Take longer drinking coffee and look longer at the flowers and talk longer with friends, family and God. It helps us live fully.
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Amen, Andrew.
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I love the chewing thing. I will practice today. Thanks!
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The first couple of times it seems like a lot, then not so bad, and then it starts to seem quite normal and pleasurable, except with fiberless foods that quickly turn to mush.
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Thumbs are harder to heal than most would think. We use them more than we realize and it’s taken at least 2 years for mine to be usable again. I still have to be gentle with it. You use your thumbs for everything. Slowing down can get you there faster because ou don’t have to stop and clean up your messes on the way.
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Wow, two years, Marlene? And I thought three months was forever!
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You sound like me, especially the eating part. Although I love to eat my wife’s cooking, I treat eating as if it were a chore to be done as quickly as possible. However, I do have an argument against you choice of photo for this post on slowing down. The squirrels I see do everything at hyper speed. Even when they are momentarily stopped, their bushy tails continue to twitch, as if motionlessness would lead to disaster.
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Yup, that’s why I picked the image, Rob. I wanted an image of a hyperactive critter (representative of me) stopping to say, “What? Slow down?” Sound like maybe it didn’t come off the way I intended.
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Or maybe I’m just dull.
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My mother ate very slowly and insisted that we all eat too fast. This is not helped by places like hospitals giving staff such a short time to eat. I have been slowing down for a while and it does help acid reflux.
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When I was wondering why I seem to be slowing down on some things in my life and feels a bit sad about it, then I read this. Thank you. It is not that bad, after all. There are benefits to slowing down. Life is short. Take it slow and savor every moment.
🙏🏻
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Exactly, Deborah.
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I’ve often been teased for being a slow eater. Now I have an excuse–no, a REASON. Thanks, Mitch!
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Am going to chew my food longer. Thanks Mitch
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It sure helps me get along with my spouse to slow down. An added benefit is the quality of what you cook. The dishes are enhanced by some patience. I have been trying to slow down and it’s even hard in retirement. May the good Lord bless your efforts Mitch.
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You too, Rob.
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Good idea, about the chewing – taking the time to savor, experience, enjoy … I’m going to try it with food. Also with visits, reading, prayer, smelling flowers, taking walks …
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Good idea, about chewing – taking the time to savor, experience, enjoy … I’m going to try it with food. Also with visits, reading, praying, smelling flowers, taking walks … You know. Life. 🙂
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Thanks Mitch for the reminder to slow down. There’s a great book I read once about “slow travel” encouraging us to travel slow and enjoy the journey rather than race to the destination every time. We can often miss life’s lessons along the way.
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I couldn’t agree more.
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I enjoyed this post.
I had always eaten slowly, enjoying every morsel of cooking. However, once I became a teacher, I got into the habit of inhaling my food in 20 minutes between dropping my students in the cafeteria and picking them up. Now though retired and enjoying every minute of my slow-paced life, I am unable to unlearn my habit of inhaling food!
Best wishes.
Chaya
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Hope you’re able to turn that around, Chaya. I’m just starting to get there, and it’s so worth it.
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I can completely relate to your article. God Bless you.
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Thank you, you too.
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Eating like a snake? I’ve gotta quit doing that! Thanks, Mitch. God bless!
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Hi Mitch and thanks for visiting. I so agree with you about slowing down.. easier said that done but a necessity! 🙏🌻
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Pingback: The Power of Slowing Down – CURIOSIDADES NA INTERNET
HI Mitch,
We are so busy in this life so slowing down is good. Just don’t put the brakes on and come to a screeching halt. We need a certain amount of good activity as well. It is finding the right speed to travel.
In Christ, Gary
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Glad you are healing and, that is something I would NEVER have thought to apply the ‘slow down’ concept to! I will start to pay attention to that! Thanks for passing it on!
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My pleasure, Peach (right?).
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Yes, indeed! Good on ya, Mitch!
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Seeing a specialist unless they were yoga practitioners would be the last option. I would consult if I wanted to slow down.
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;>) I meant to have the injured thumb checked out.
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interesting
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Yes, slowing down is vital in this culture; our frantic pace of life is not exactly the norm worldwide!
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