We arrived in Stockholm this morning...barely. Our first flight was delayed, and we had to rush to catch the flight out of Newark just as it was boarding.
Stockholm! What a town of such beauty. In many ways, it is like a city in the U.S. -- rush hour traffic, many buildings, etc. It is also quite different though.
Since Pav's passing, I've been contemplating the legacy he shared with us. One of his distinctive mannerisms was intentionally not rushing through life, not being in a hurry. This relaxed attitude, a realization that life will go on without our being everywhere instantly, is manifest in Stockholm.
People are never in a hurry. Maybe not never -- I've seen 3 instances of people "hurrying." And one of those was a fire truck. Out of the thousands of interactions I have seen, from people driving, to walking down the street, to waiting in line, that frantic rushing just doesn't exist. If someone who wants to cross the street just misses the light, they will patiently wait for the next one. And it's not as though Swedes do not care about promptness; on the contrary, tardiness is a sign of disrespect for the other.
What a contrast from the rush we were in to catch our flight!
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