My mother was telling me a story on the phone and I found myself waiting for her to get to the point. She takes her time. She doubles back. She names people I don't know and explains the context and there are pauses while she remembers the details right. I used to love this. I used to settle into it, the long rhythm of how she talks. Yesterday I was just waiting. I noticed my jaw was tight. I noticed I was already thinking about what I was going to do after the call.

I watch everything at 1.5x now. Podcasts, videos, lectures. The normal speed feels too slow, like someone dragging their feet. I've recalibrated my baseline and now real life comes in under it. Actual human conversation, actual pace of events, actual unedited time - it all drags. I feel the impatience like a physical thing. And I know that my mother's stories are worth the time. I know that. But I'm having to remind myself to know it. What are you accelerating past without meaning to?