An Acme of Matters

Before I delve any further into the concept of "what matters most to me" I want to clear something up: I hate superlatives. The best, the most, the number one. I can often be heard saying "that is one of my favourite movies" or "this is one of the best Leonard Cohen songs." I may flirt with exclusivity but I never go so far as to ask exclusive superlatives out for dinner and a movie.

There. It's been said. Thank you.

I will, however, explain one of the things that matters most to me. Sure there are other things that are notably important but I don't want to bore you will a list of matters that matter to me. One of the things that matters the most to me is, wait for it – pausing. 

I've recently reactivated my Netflix account after an eight month hiatus. The first thing I did when I started that episode of Portlandia? I pressed the space bar to see if it pauses the video. It did.

Paragraphs and punctuation are beautiful when reading. They allow you to stop. Wait. Think.

I love lunch breaks because you get to pause from work and converse with colleagues. I love to sit and wait, think, relax and enjoy. There is so much that can be accomplished in the paused moment. We can reflect, meditate, contemplate and perceive. Ever sit in a car with the window down and feel the wind buffeting against your face? Ever take notice of it? You sure can when you pause.

The next time you have a glass of Merlot sip it and stop a moment. Let the liquid explore your palate. As it lingers it begins to speak with your taste buds. Suddenly you become aware of all the intricate notes and why it tastes so good with that savoury chicken thigh. If you knock back the wine you don't notice those things.

...

Pausing is so wonderful that I fight for it. Mostly against myself. In our world there seems to be a prevalent attitude that we must always be doing something. Apart from school and work we must be volunteering and engaged in community events like sports teams or musical groups. If we aren't always busy doing things then we may be criticized as being lazy.

Without pausing would I be able to answer the question regarding what matters to me? Perhaps but it would be at best empty. Why? Because I love to pause. I've found that pausing and waiting helps me stay, for lack of a better word, me.