Last One on the Floor Wins...

My yoga teacher whispered as he left the yoga room... "Last One on the Floor Wins..." 

I cracked open my eyes and realized that I was the only one left in the room lying flat on my yoga mat resting and breathing after class. He smiled at me kindly, shut the door, turned off the lights and left. I lied back down as tears started trickling down my face hitting my yoga mat. Since I was little I have always done everything very slowly paced. It feels good to me. I move slow, I eat slow, I drive slow. As far as I know I'm the only person I have ever known that has gotten pulled over for driving too slow, he asked me why I was driving so slowly and I told him honestly that I was enjoying the view. He laughed, let me off the hook with a warning, and told me there were pull-outs for that. I remember being honked at in Los Angeles and looking up to see an elderly lady with big black glasses who could barely see over the steering wheel trying to pass me. My family poking fun of me for always being the last one eating, elderly men walking passed me as I'm walking down the beach at 25 years old, my teacher saying I shouldn't always be the last one to turn in my test because I always do well anyways. I do things slowly, I always have and I probably always will. That's my natural pace, it feels good for me. I don't think I realized though that until that moment there's a dissonance living in a world that is not quite at your pace. We live in a fast-paced society everyone wants to do everything quicker bigger faster now. Nature's at my pace, but not society. That was the first time in my life I think I have ever been praised for doing things slowly, and it made me tear up, it was hilarious. It felt good to not to have to defend or protect my own space or pace and to actually have someone say "hey good work at taking your time" for once! We all have a natural rhythm and it is all our own, and it is uniquely right for us. The Tortoise and the Hare, yeah that's kind of my story, but I will keep on plugging along at my own pace  - because all we have is our own personal race to enjoy...

Photo By Pete Ambrose