Slow Goods, Fast Lane

“It’s a simple life. But they work so hard,” my mom said. We were in Halong Bay sittin’ in a boat watching a local fisherman and his wife. They were banging the edge of their boat with sticks – drummin’ up as much noise as they could to draw fish to the surface, right into their net. Their reward? Three tiny fish.

The couple live and work on their small fishing boat. Chock full of tools and outfitted for seagoin’, personal items kept to a bare minimum. The fisherman looked content – gazin’ out to the water. The wife seemed happy – flashin’ a smile every time she noticed I was snapping photos.

My mother related to how hard they work, but their lives made hers seem like a breeze. After immigrating to America, my parents created opportunities where working relentlessly made it possible to upgrade their life. My mother wondered if the same freedom was available in Việt Nam?

I was in the calm of the moment – appreciatin’ being far from the frantic pace of Hanoi and my life back in Seattle. I wondered if the couple valued ridin’ in the slow lane. Is it the course they chose? Do they know about the popularity of the slow movement?

My world is all about slow goods, yet I’m livin’ in the fast lane hustlin’ to crank out one STMT Kit to the next. Despite moments where I wanna move outta the way, I never forget that my nonstop grind allows me to create my destiny. The choice I made – steady rockin’ my dreams.

oxxo, Hen