Two weeks ago, I attended The RSA's (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) event on THE SLOW REVOLUTION, based on the rise of the Slow Movement, which advocates the slowing down of life's pace "in order to meet fundamental human needs, while allowing for the earth’s natural regeneration to take place." The event brought together five advocates towards this cultural shift in a forum that explored the notions behind 'slow' and how this was relevant in fashion, culture, finance and our philosophical outlook.What follows is a reflection of the event.

During my two year stint living with indigenous people in the Amazon, I had been dubbed by many in and outside my village as one with an old soul; the one who had found herself back into this world with an antiquated view of how one should move through space and time. I had always known that I existed with a momentum that required the slowness that came with enjoyment--just like a connoisseur would slowly swish a teaspoon of wine in one's mouth until every single taste bud could relish in its glory, or perhaps an old man in Arxia Corinthos (I did a study abroad there as a teen) enjoying a long conversation with his childhood friend over trees, terrain and politics. 

When I lived in Edinburgh, I would often take myself to the Wednesday night open mic nights at Eighty Queen Street Jazz bar (it is still today one of my most coveted memories) and sit whilst strangers took centre stage with the live ensemble to perform their melodies. I would stay there for hours, drinking wine and making conversation with the elderly who were sometimes brought to the bar as part of their outings. I sincerely loved it. John (one of the regulars in his early 60s) would always find me, and we would talk of "back in the day" when he would play his sax with his old band, and how they would spend hours playing the same phrases (a series of notes, a sentence of music) over and over until they would all agree on the key, transitions, and alternate chords. Those were the days John!