Wake up, shower, drive through Starbucks, go to work, go to class, drive home, sleep. Wake up, shower, drive through Starbucks, go to work, go to class, drive home, sleep. Wake up, shower, drive through Starbucks, go to work, go to class, drive home, sleep. Wake up, shower, drive through Starbucks, go to work, go to class, drive home, sleep, and repeat.
As students approach the end of their first month of the school year, routine and fatigue are beginning to set in. There are tests to prepare for and books to read. There is clocking-in and clocking-out to be done. There is money to be made. There are friends to entertain and family to live with. Not to mention a phone, a facebook and homework to keep up with.
Life never stops. But should it?
Several countries have a mandatory two-hour lunch time. Most Latin and Mediterranean countries participate in the well-known “siesta” or “riposo”, which is the two hour lunch period that generally includes a nap. The city shuts down and workers take time to rest, enjoy family and friends and of course, eat! According to CNN.com, “…which some doctors say is optimal; a quick nap after lunch to get refreshed, without entering a deep sleep cycle…”
As Americans, do we too often forget to take time for ourselves? Yes, we are a focused society. We have been raised to be capitalists and it is no secret that the American dream is about hard work and hard work that pays off. But what about the pieces of life that aren’t material? Isn’t there more to life than money and a good job?
With higher divorce rates, more broken families and a country in economic turmoil, shouldn’t this be the time for Americans to come together most? Shouldn’t it be now, more than ever, that the next generation is taught how important it is to value the intangibles over the tangibles?
Are we focused on the wrong things in life? Should young Americans be raised to work until they can’t anymore (because that’s the only way to be successful)? What about balance? What about forming relationships? Does the next generation have the tools to do those things? Or are we strictly driven by test scores and profits?
As students approach the end of their first month of the school year, routine and fatigue are beginning to set in. There are tests to prepare for and books to read. There is clocking-in and clocking-out to be done. There is money to be made. There are friends to entertain and family to live with. Not to mention a phone, a facebook and homework to keep up with.
Life never stops. But should it?
Several countries have a mandatory two-hour lunch time. Most Latin and Mediterranean countries participate in the well-known “siesta” or “riposo”, which is the two hour lunch period that generally includes a nap. The city shuts down and workers take time to rest, enjoy family and friends and of course, eat! According to CNN.com, “…which some doctors say is optimal; a quick nap after lunch to get refreshed, without entering a deep sleep cycle…”
As Americans, do we too often forget to take time for ourselves? Yes, we are a focused society. We have been raised to be capitalists and it is no secret that the American dream is about hard work and hard work that pays off. But what about the pieces of life that aren’t material? Isn’t there more to life than money and a good job?
With higher divorce rates, more broken families and a country in economic turmoil, shouldn’t this be the time for Americans to come together most? Shouldn’t it be now, more than ever, that the next generation is taught how important it is to value the intangibles over the tangibles?
Are we focused on the wrong things in life? Should young Americans be raised to work until they can’t anymore (because that’s the only way to be successful)? What about balance? What about forming relationships? Does the next generation have the tools to do those things? Or are we strictly driven by test scores and profits?
I could not agree with this post more! However, sad but true, I think most Americans do care more about "profit" and "test scores." Our society has glamorized the idea of success and money so much that we crave it; we need it. We all know we need family, friends, and most important, some of our own time to recoup and rest, but it seems like we continue to put everything else first. The economy doesn't make this any easier either. Right now people have to work more just to say afloat.
ReplyDeleteI hope that one day, our nation can and will change for the better, and we will follow suit with the other countries.
I had the great opportunity to study in Italy this past Summer. The Italian lifestyle is different than the American lifestyle in so many ways, but one of the most notable differences is their day-to-day schedule. Italians grab an espresso and a croissant before work in the morning, work till about noon and then enjoy a lunch break of around two to three hours. As one older gentleman once described to me, "It is just enough time to eat lunch, take a nap, and make love to your wife," before getting back to work. Siestas in the middle of the day, three hour long dinners- in my opinion Italian life is much more rhythmic and balanced than the go, go, go lives that Americans lead.
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