When I was 13 I spent two blissful and unforgettable weeks in Jamaica. I came back not only with a deep love of the country, but also a more enduring lesson.
As a river guide languidly punted us downstream through crystal clear water on a bamboo raft, he shared a fundamental principle of life there:
“Rushing is what we make mats out of.”
In the grip of the current heatwave in the UK1, which feels remarkably like the Caribbean without the benefit of the sea to hop into2, this phrase has seeped back into my mind.
Rushing around as I frequently do is literally impossible today, unless I want to be immediately drenched in sweat. That need to focus on going s.l.o.w.l.y merely to be able to cope is a great reminder that, really, there is no need to be rushing at any other time either.
Every now and again, sure: my pathological need for punctuality, a deadline, a pot boiling over, a cup of tea left brewing too long3 are all fair reasons to rush. But outside those few times, why do I rush so much? It only increases my anxiety and, often, leads to mistakes.
I hope the present reminder of the perils of climate change can also serve to remind me that I need to be more mindful of my inherent nature to misuse rushing.
- There is no chance you are unaware of the heatwave, since everyone in Britain is experiencing it and, if you’re not here right now, every single British person is talking about it.
- I live in a town that is literally the farthest from the ocean it’s possible to be in the entirety of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- Easily the worst problem on this list.