The Tyranny of the Urgent

This title came from an essay I read in college. It described how our constant need to go, go, go accomplishes less and less and distracts us from what is really important. I can't remember all of the essay right now (and hope I am remembering this part accurately), but it beautifully and effectively described how we are losing our lives to "busy-ness."

I see that no where better than with the SAD. Our need to hurry here and there slowly and steadily edged out family meals--breakfast and dinner. We can now get breakfast in a single bar and eat it in our car or at our desk. We drive thru dinner and eat out of paper wrap in the car on our way to this thing or the next. Lunch, well, I don't know one person in my office who actually takes a lunch break on a regular basis. They often opt for some variation of the breakfast bar or drive thru.

These options do deliver: We do get there faster. We do stay at our desks that much longer.

But at what cost?

Rising above the tyrannical urgencies of life has been a struggle. But I'd rather fight a known evil than blindly allow everything else in my life to rule me.