It's 3:19 a.m., and it's 85 degrees outside with a humidity of 55 percent. Oklahoma heat is no joke- especially this time of the year.
I'm laying in my bed on top of the sheets in my old childhood bedroom because I'm visiting home for the weekend to celebrate Father's Day with my parents. Since I moved out and left this bedroom six years ago, not much has changed. The walls are a little bearer, and some of the furniture has changed, but other than that, my parents have insisted that "my room will always be my room," and they've done their best to keep it that way. Since last time I was here though, mom (now sporting Chacos) has put in a new clock on the wall above my bed. It's not a digital clock, but instead it's one of those clocks that you can hear tick with every passing second.
I think that's why I'm awake- I'm currently physically aware of every passing second and aware of just how slowly those seconds seem to be passing.
I'm not sure if it's the clock, or if it's the knowledge of not being able to sleep that's making me aware of just how slowly the seconds are passing. I've never really been aware of it before, but right now, I'm completely tuned in to every ticking sound of time and it's trickling speed.
It's a cliche that big cities are where life speeds up and that small towns are where life slows down. Duncan, the town my parents house is in with my old bedroom and new clock, is a small town, and life and time really do seem to slow down here. The cars drive slower, the people speak slower and life moves slower. Things like being in a hurry seem to be non-existent, and you can always hear a clock ticking.
I like this slown down lifestyle though- maybe not permanently, but definitely in doses. I always learn something from it. I learn how doing things fast doesn't always mean they get done right and how doing things slow allows time for other, more important things. I learn patience and kindness from the people, and I learn that just cause a place is a small town, it doesn't mean that it doesn't contain people with big capabilities and big dreams.
Small towns may have a slower pace of life, and time may seem to stand still there at times, but they sure are places that can reset a fast-paced life style.
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: Cities do to your heart what a double shot of coffee does, but a small town will sink you like a smooth, slow drink of whiskey.