Faster and Faster We Go

Photo taken in August on Long Island Sound. The shoreline in background is Connecticut.

    A ferry, churning a froth of water, passed by a wind driven schooner. Diesel engines powered the ferry. It moved at forty miles per hour. Customers like quickness. The ferry’s business probably booms during summer.
    The schooner moved like a slowpoke. But two centuries ago, schooners were the speediest vessels. Fisherman used them to rush their catches to shore.
    As time marches on, modes of transportation quicken. The same applies to the performance of tasks. Technology speeds things up. Faster actions result in convenience. And convenience leads to more leisure time.
    Or just the opposite for some people. Speediness leaves them more time for productivity. Their workloads increase. Their brains process more stimuli. Fatigue takes hold. Over time, burnout looms.
    Going faster and faster may inadvertently slow down a person.