That Few Seconds

Everyone is rushing somewhere.
Speed is everything.
From crossing the streets a few seconds before the green man comes.
To walking so fast till we sweat.
Chasing for a bus, when the next one is just 5 minutes behind.
Running for the lift.
How much time do we really gain out of it?
Is it at all important in the end?

I know, because I feel it in me.
Like a sort of Rush Syndrome.
Once I'm back in this country I begin to act like the others.
And I began to realize what it is.
Because when others are doing it, subconsciously I'll think its important.
That it is meaningful to be minutely calculative.
But really, is that miniscule advantage we get in the end really significant?

We don't want to fall behind.
Sure it is never good to live at the back side of the social curve.
But I ask myself,
Will gaining that few seconds really gain me anything?
At the expense of all the additional background mental costs.
Minute, but perceptible, and cumulative.
It all adds up.
Until the end of the day we feel so worn out.

There are stressed faces everywhere.
Sad and worn out.
That deep sunken and hollow look.
No one smiles.
No one has the space to tolorate.
We are all living at the edge, ready to fall off at the slightest push.
Anger flies everywhere.
We call it part of life but it need not be so.
We simply rush too much.

We are so driven to gain that little advantage possible.
At the decisive moment it will be significant.
But need it be every moment?
I ask myself this, should I be like this?
But if I slacken off, how will others view me?
Happy-go-lucky and laid back?
Well, I should decide for myself what I want.
And it is clear, this is not what I want.

I think we all can do it, to treat life and ourselves easier.
We all WANT to do it.
But we are afraid to.
Afraid that once we slacken off we'll lose out so significantly we'll fall to the back end of the curve.
It is so imbued in our blood that we breathe, live and work with it.
It is hard to shake it off.
And even harder to contemplate the consequences we think will be.

Ultimately, does it really matter that we reach work 2 minutes earlier when we walk faster?
Or reach class 10 seconds earlier by walking before the green man lights up?
To pile our minds with all these stress?
As long as we're on time, we do our job, we go home safe.
When our minds are lighter, we smile more.
We know and appreciate ourselves better.
We see others in a better light.
Life gets easier.

It is commendable that we have the fighting spirit.
But over that few seconds or minutes?
Surely there are greater things to worry about.