We are getting so busy, everything is moving faster, things are instantaneous, our head is spinning with information, our brain is working in overdrive - and that is just in the first hour of each day.
Because of this continuous fast pace, we often forget to stop for a moment and talk. I did that once, I was too busy to stop and talk to my mother who asked me to sit and have a cup of tea with her. "Too busy Mum", I yelled back while driving away. My mother died from a stroke before I got back and had that cup of tea. A true story, and the beginning of my slide into a terrible part of my life.
Did that get your attention? I was too busy: working long hours solving crimes at work, studying for university degrees (three of them), building an extension on my house, on-call as a police negotiator, and maintaining a high level of physical fitness. Why not, there is 24 hours in a day I used to tell myself.
Sleep, that's for old people. Food, two hamburgers a day is enough. Exercise, I ran everywhere. That's all we need to survive isn't it? Maslow said that our important needs are food, water, and shelter followed by safety and security. I was a cop with a good job, a nice home, a loving family, a great car, the best food available. I had all bases covered.
However, I didn't read all of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, I wish that I had. Above safety and security is 'socialisation'. That is the need for us to talk, to interact, to share, to be part of a community, to stop for a moment and talk. Talking is about many things. It’s about learning the art of: communication, of social skills, of manners, of laughing, of forgetting about your worries for a few minutes.
When was the last time you said "I'm too busy to stop and talk".