Hilary’s dad lives on an island in Western Washington. It’s a beautiful place, but there is only one way on and off—and that’s by boat.
When we went to visit, we had to wait in a short line, pay $20, then file onto a ferry to get across the Sound to the island. The ferry only makes the trip a few times a day, so if you live on the island, your life revolves around the timing of the ferry.
Forget to buy sugar at the store? Too bad—no cookies tonight. (It’d be a 3-hour sugar trip! And that’s if you haven’t missed the last ferry of the day.)
On the surface it seems like a terrible inconvenience. And I felt a bit inconvenienced as I waited on both ends of the ferry. But… upon further consideration, perhaps the larger lesson is that I live my life in too big a hurry.
There’s something beautiful about living where you want to live despite the dramatic decline of pace and convenience. (Perhaps because of…)
Pace is often mistaken for purpose. But I know a lot of really busy people who don’t accomplish much of significance.
Are you in a hurry today? Is it worth it?