Slowing down
Taking the bus in Budapest and a thought experiment for you
A week before my husband and I left for Budapest—a combined work/play trip—I had a collision in a social soccer league and my knee blew up to be the size of a small cantaloupe.
The doctor said it was a subchondral, or slight, fracture and I should stay off of it for 6 weeks to 3 months, depending on how long the bone takes to heal. (Not great news, but I was thankful the ligaments were in tact!)
From the outside I appear to be completely fine. I’m not in a boot. I don’t have crutches and can hide a compression brace under pants or skirts. After the first couple of days, the visible swelling went down and I’m able to walk short—very short—distances.
But on the inside, my mind is working on overtime to protect the joint. Each day is a puzzle of how do the most while moving the least.
One of the things that surprised me most about Budapest was how easy it was to get around while injured.
The buses and trams ran on time. Their lines and tracks traversed the city. The people were friendly—a frizzy haired man gestured wildly to me as the bus pulled up so I’d get on through the right door.
While riding the bus, waiting for it, or resting on benches around the city I noticed what people wore to work, or how they greeted each other. I saw ornate building decor and savored the taste of coffee for the first time in a long time.
Instead of rushing from one ‘site’ to the next and treating the trip as a checklist, I saw slices of everyday life.
We often schedule our lives so we can do it ~all~, whatever that entails for you. Balancing jobs and art. Kids and family. Friends and plans. But sometimes, the speed of living blurs the details. At least it did for me… until recently, when I’ve been forced to slow down.
So I wanted to offer up this thought experiment to you: What happens if for one day—one hour—you take a different, longer route?
This could as simple as taking the bus if you don’t already, waiting in line without checking your phone, or going to a new grocery store where you don’t automatically know where everything is.
What would you notice, how would you see the world differently, what would you appreciate, if you changed things up?
I hope you’re having a healthy, lovely summer.
Other inspiration & tidbits
If you’re in New York, there are some fun events coming up this summer at Elizabeth Street Garden—yoga, outdoor movie nights, poetry, music!
I really enjoy
’s newsletter featuring short stories. If you’re looking to read more short fiction, this recent one includes a story by Kelly Link (pdf expires soon). Rachel and a few writer friends also started The Dream Side that has a writing retreat coming up this August!I thrifted a long flowered skirt recently and it’s SO comfortable.
has a fun post on how to style skirts this summer.