Carpe Diem indeed

Dear You,

Have you noticed an increase in the hustle-bustle these days? It's not just the end-of-year rush that explains it all, I think. These are the days of instant everything, and it seems to have raised everyone's expectations in unpleasant ways.

A daughter-in-law observed with wonder that all she had to do was insert her credit card into Redbox, press a couple of buttons, and out would pop a DVD movie to take home with her groceries. While watching another d-in-l working on the computer last evening, I noted her frustration when screens wouldn't shift fast enough to suit her. And today I caught myself wondering why a neighbor in Florida had not yet responded to my email . . . that I sent two days ago.

In the taxi recently, the driver's story kept being interrupted by his cell phone. Today the piano tuner stopped his work because his cell phone rang. The electrician who fixed a shorted wire last week made several calls on his cell phone. And in church yesterday, a purse nearby quietly interrupted the service by starting to ring. In short, we all have a sort of electronic leash with us now, and communication is supposed to be instantaneous.

Get it now. Just give us your credit card number. Now. While some of these changes in modern life are just great, I think we're starting to miss some of the value of taking more time. And I'm especially unhappy about the increase of drivers who want to push me out of the way in their rush to get to . . . where? McDonald's, for instant food?