I was having a conversation with a Vincentian friend yesterday about America not feeling like home any more. Of course I know it will always be home in a sense, but my heart was more connected to Saint Vincent.
The truth is I’ve adapted myself to the Vincentian way of living in every way except for one….
I still struggle living by island time
In the States being productive or efficient is an emphasis. So we go by “American time” which means doing things as quickly as possible. “Island time” means things are done slowly without a emphasis on productivity.
My first experience with Island Time was the phrase “just now.”
This is a phrase the Vincentians commonly use in a sentence “(I will come by you just now”). Originally I took that to mean “immediately” so would expect the person to come right away.
Instead just now means “soon” which to be honest, is a very general term. So just now can be anything from a half-hour, to three-hours or more.
Island time used to frustrate me because it kept me from getting things done.
but I’ve since learned there are more important things in the world than being productive.
Island time at it’s core is slowing life down and spending time with family or friends. So this isn’t laziness, but choosing to make memories over activity.
And in the long run that’s more important
Yesterday afternoon a friend came by to help me work on the connector hose. It took around an hour before the hose was connected without leaking. The truth is, I had much more important things to do than help him with a hose, but spending the time with him is far more important.
There are days when island time means I get very little done…….
But those same days are spent investing in people.
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