Comments on: You Gotta Be Still Before You Can Get Ahead

By: Susan Pogorzelski - admin

Susan Pogorzelski - admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:31:40 +0000

Elisa: You bring up a really fascinating idea with the Amish youth and rumshpringa — living in Lancaster County, heavily populated with the Amish community, you sometimes see that firsthand. But I wasn’t aware of the statistics and there’s a part of me that’s surprised, but a greater part of me that’s not. I love how you say “they seem to have held on to something we’ve forgotten” as it coincides to Amanda’s comment. I understand the fast-paced world that we live in now may seem fun but vastly different than what many people are used to, though I wonder how much of that pertains to the values that they hold as a result of their upbringing. It’s a concept I’m curious about that I’d like to research and explore further.

Thanks so much for your comment and your insight and for sparking some (future) thoughts!

By: Susan Pogorzelski - admin

Susan Pogorzelski - admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:27:49 +0000

Amanda: I think a temporary exile sounds perfect. There are some times when I want life to speed up, hurry up, and there are points where I’m going too fast. I think that’s the thing — time either goes to fast or too slow and you can’t really enjoy it either way. I really want to enjoy it. I love how you say “we are squeezing the life out of life” — it’s too true. Thanks for the great comment!

Sam: It’s kind of amazing to me to see how technology has changed our lives. I love it — I’ll be the first to admit that. But I also sometime yearn for that yesteryear — where I remember coming home from school and running outside to grab my bike rather than getting online. I’m not saying one is better than the other, it’s just a different culture now and I’m a bit surprised to see how quickly things have changed. You mention our generation and I wonder if technology is a product of our generation, or if we’re a product of these advancements. At any rate, I love that Ferris Bueller quote. Wise words indeed! Thanks!

By: Elisa

Elisa — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:16:12 +0000

I’m the first person to call on the weekend to ditch the city for hiking on a mountain, camping by a lake or laying out for the day at the beach. I will take ANY opportunity to get away. But that’s the whole point…you have to GET AWAY. Unfortunately, circumstance and surroundings dictate much of the world you live in. It’s easy to be laid back and focus on other things when you are in a remote French village.

Did you know that more Amish youth return to their community after their rumshpringa? The reason most cite…not tradition or pressure or anything like that. The life we live in OUR communities is too fast and superficial and high anxiety. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Amish/Shaker/Mennonite communities. They seem to have caught on (or held on) to something we’ve forgotten…

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:37:15 +0000

Great post, Susan! You’re so right. Those of us who are constantly immersed in the wonderful world of social media definitely understand fast paced better than most people. I think it’s human nature, especially for our generation, to want things to happen quick and easy. But, that’s no excuse. Like Ferris Bueller said, life moves pretty fast, if we don’t stop and look around every once in a while, we could miss it. I think it’s okay to shoot for the moon, as long as we enjoy the ride on the way there.

By: Amanda Linehan

Amanda Linehan — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:59:35 +0000

Hi Susan – You know, sometimes I find myself barely able to sit still, thinking of the next thing that I want to do. Or my life slows down a bit and I find myself searching for that next big goal I want to accomplish. Maybe I need to impose some sort of temporary exile on myself for a bit. It’s like, there is always something out there I’m trying to catch, and mostly that’s fine, but like you’ve said here, where is that time between catches? We are squeezing the life out of life Nice post.