Now that we have passed the summer solstice, we are more than half way through another year. Time does seem to fly, as they say. And, as time changes, things change.

At our respective (and respectable) ages, we have seen a lot of things change around us. Remember when you used to have to actually walk to the phone on the wall – or one attached to a connector on the baseboard – in order to answer it or to make a call? Remember when you had to get up and walk to the TV to change the channel – for one of the ten stations you could watch? Remember when you had to actually sit down and write a note on paper and mail it to a friend or relative on a special occasion? Remember when you had to wait patiently for the coffee pot, on your electric stove, to finish percolating before you could have your first cup of coffee in the morning?

Times have surely changed – and we have been witnesses to much of it during our lifetimes. But I find it interesting to see how many people are beginning to question the wisdom of our world of faster, better, easier living.

Over the past few weeks, the news has highlighted stories about people returning to the use of “the dumb phone” – the old flip phones without a screen or internet access, in order to slow down their hectic lives. The Surgeon General of the USA has called for warning labels to be required on all social media platforms to alert both adults and kids about the dangers of excessive screen time. TV celebrities are commenting on the dangers of forgetting the importance of having kids – and adults too – getting outside to play together rather than sitting in front of a computer and keyboard for hours on end.

People have been complaining about being able to find “balance in their lives”. Could it be that “good balance” comes from embracing some of the newer features of our modern world without discarding or forgetting some of the good features of days gone by?

Sitting down and having a family meal together occasionally can build stronger relationships. Talking to one another in person or by phone, rather than texting or sending an e-mail, enables you to see the joy or sorrow in their eyes, or hear the tone of their voice. Taking the time to get up and go out for a walk does more for one’s health and well-being than scrolling on your smart phone. Volunteering with a local group can help you better understand and appreciate what others may not have – while you do.

Our lives are the product of the many small decisions we make – every single day.

“Remember to make the time to stop and smell the roses.”

One Smart Individual

Jim McKinlay,
President