Impatience has long been a characteristic of Americans.
We want things done quickly, sooner than now. Americans don't just drive from one city to another. They "make good time." This attitude has been multiplied by technology. Someone sends an email in the morning and is shocked if a reply has not been made by the afternoon.
It is also more difficult to hide out. People can be tracked down on the slopes of Mt. Everest. Stores boast of being open 24/7. You are supposed to be instantly accessible.
Several years ago I heard of a study which found that any meal which takes longer than ten minutes to prepare is regarded as serious cooking.
We seem to be constantly rushing to get it done.
Now shift to foreign policy. Our enemies know that Americans like quick wars, tidy wars, ones that don't drag on. That's an understandable preference. Who likes long wars and high casualties? But the world doesn't adjust to our preferences and there are times, in our careers as professionals and as citizens, when we need to take a longer view.
Reality cannot be microwaved.
2 comments:
"...any meal which takes longer than ten minutes to prepare is regarded as serious cooking."
I made homemade vanilla ice cream this weekend. Started on Saturday with heavy cream and real egg yolks. Finished it on Sunday morning. It still needed six or seven hours in the freezer, and though we sampled, it won't really be ready until today.
On Sunday evening I grilled ribs, which also took more than 10 minutes.
Must put me in Julia Child's rank or similar.
Larry,
You are definitely in Cordon Bleu territory.
Michael
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