Less and More

The slogans and mottos that we use in our FA meetings used to get on my nerves, big time. They seemed so clichéd. One day at a time, do the next right thing, let go and let God, keep it simple, easy does it, less is more, and so on.

About a year into FA, right before the pandemic hit, I was by myself on a miniroad trip, headed for the Washington State coast for a presentation at a local middle school. I had been offered a hotel room complete with refrigerator and microwave, so I packed my food and set off early the day before my presentation. I had planned to spend some time on the beach playing tourist before and after my talk.

I don’t particularly like driving, but I knew this was mostly back roads, so I was looking forward to the drive. There’s something about being in a car on my own that sets off a different way of thinking. I’m driving along, aware of the speed limit, and in my usual way, driving just a few miles faster than the limit. I was nervous whenever a car behind me seemed to want to go faster, which made me speed up as well.

Then a voice in my ear whispered, Easy does it. Less is more, remember? And I found that my foot on the accelerator let up just a bit. I thought, Why not go the actual speed limit? I also wondered what it would feel like to go a few miles under. I decided to try it. I found myself slowing down. There wasn’t that much traffic, being on back roads, and when the cars piled up behind me, I found a place to pull over and let them pass. No one seemed particularly angry about my slow speed. Nobody honked at me. Funny, my people-pleasing self often worried that I would make people angry.

I drove quietly, peacefully, slightly under the speed limit, and found that those few miles per hour that I shaved off my speedometer didn’t make much of a dent in my timeline. Maybe it took 10 or 15 minutes longer to get there, but the drive was pleasant, the weather was sunny (always appreciated in that area), and really, I had the whole day off. I’d arranged with the hotel owner to pick up my key and wasn’t expected anywhere until the next morning, so what was the rush?

In fact, rushing is something that I have always done; automatically, unconsciously. Underneath a deliberate façade of calm, I often feel like the proverbial duck paddling like crazy under the surface of the water. And of course, that adds to the stress of life.

But really, less is more. By driving a little slower, I enjoyed the journey so much more. By remembering to take it easy, I found my shoulders dropping and relaxing from their normal stiff driving stance.

Arriving in that calm state, I was able to thoroughly enjoy my mini-vacation. The next day, my presentation was well received. I took my abstinent lunch to the pier and ate in the lovely sunshine. Then slowly, steadily, I made my way homeward.

Since that road trip, I have paid more attention and am a little more respectful of our slogans and keep looking for new ways to adapt them to my daily life.