When you think of Australia, what comes to mind? Kangaroos in a biff with humans? The hideous low-class accent (Haay Craaaaig, Craaaaaaaaaig)? Vegemite? How about if I say Okinawa? For me the first thing that pops up is a place where time moves slower than my one-legged granny. The Okinawans (the ones we’re close to) are 10th dans of relaxation where family, gardening, and mingling with each other are priority, not racing through life. People can seemingly glide through the day with a peaceful, unhurried vibe where midday naps are a must (for my sensei at least), and everything just feels so goddamn calm. I’ve consciously tried to adopt such a chilled-out approach because who wouldn’t wanna live like that? But yeah, a lot easier said than done.
So, can being too laid-back ever be a bad thing? Here’s a lil “secret” – we have a big bad grading coming up - ossssu, and whaddaya know - the date changed last minute. No biggie, yeah? I thought, “I’ll just go with the flow, rebook my flights, and things will be good as gold.” Nah WRONG – suddenly I had transformed into Mr Sum Ting Wong. The flight route I originally chose only had options every few days, so I had to either extend my trip (yeah, not happening) or switch airlines. Cancellation fees were high, booking a few weeks out was even higher – might as well smoke some weed while we’re at it. Accommodation changes, too, were agonising, since I had to speak with operators whose accents were so thick, I wasn’t too certain I had rebooked my accommodation or accidentally ordered a chicken vindaloo.
When we were first notified of the date change, must admit I was a little frustrated, questioning why the Okinawans can't ever get their act together. Why does everything always have to be last minute? At the same time though I was trying to channel my inner Zen master (extremely limited skills) and stay calm. Is this really what “going with the flow” is all about?
In the end, everything is sorted, but not without a few extra grey bum hairs along the way. While it’s great to embrace the ‘she’ll be right - all is good’ attitude sometimes I think it would be more than appreciated if people, Okinawans included, placed a bit more effort into making more thought-out plans.
OCD + ADHD ÷ an Okinawan = The perfect balance
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