2 Minutes!

I went through the McDonalds drive thru the other day.
I know, I know, I am terrible person, please don’t judge me! But it was just one of those days and I so desperately needed some golden crisp, delicately fried, thin slices of potatoes, sprinkled with a light seasoning of salt  to ease the stress of the day I was having!

Anyway, enough excuses of why I needed the french fries, I just needed them! As I got to the window, the lovely girl was so apologetic and said there was a 2-minute wait on the fries, and asked if I was ok with that?

Ok with that?
What was I going to say “No, I NEED them now, I can’t wait 2 minutes, I thought this was meant to be fast food? Can you not see what kind of day I have had? Get me the fries NOW!”

Maybe that’s what was going through my head but instead, I politely said that was so fine. But honestly, inside I was frustrated that I had to wait 2 minutes!
Really Kathy? You were frustrated that you had to wait a whole 2 minutes for your most favourite thing in the world? Seriously, you are SO busy that 2 minutes was going to change your whole day?

Wow! As I sat there for my 2-minute compulsory wait, which actually felt like half an hour, I got to thinking! How busy have we become, that waiting at a fast food restaurant for 2-minutes is an inconvenience in our day?

Slow down.

When did we become so busy and our time so precious that we expect everything NOW!

Slow down.

We get frustrated when the internet is not as quick as we think it should be.
We get frustrated when our phone is too slow.
We get frustrated when the microwave isn’t quick enough.
We get frustrated when we are stuck behind a slow car or in a queue at the lights.
We get frustrated when there are 3 people in front of us at the checkout.

Slow down.

As I sat there in my car waiting for my fries, counting down the seconds till I had those wee strips of Heaven in my hot little hand, I took a deep breath and I let it out slowly.
Breathe Kathy, just breathe! Slow down your mind and think about what’s really important…..and no, it’s not your fries!

Slow down.

Who ever said it was important to be busy…..24/7? Who told us, we look more productive if we are busy all the time? When did we start to believe the lie that we need to be busy, busy, busy? Why is it we think we are lazy if we slow down?

Slow down.

So (eventually) I got my fries and I went on my merry way. I arrived home and the house was empty and so I sat. I sat down on the couch with my fries, and an ice cold coke zero, and I ate those tasty little morsels…….slowly. Instead of wolfing them down in a mad frenzy like I would normally do, trying to do 6 other things at the same time, I ate slowly and actually took the time to enjoy the fatty, oily goodness! As I ate my fries, I looked at the washing pile that needed to be folded. I looked at the dishwasher that needed unstacking and I looked at the carpet that needed vacuuming. And I thought to myself……they can wait. For the next 2 minutes, it is just me and my fries!