Tet is for living slowly.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Slow down a little, please! Can we hold hands a little longer? Let's tell each other about the little things we encounter on the street instead of news or gossip about other people's lives.

Long ago, in the days when bicycles were the primary mode of transportation, accidents on the road would at most result in a bumpy head, a sprained ankle, or scrapes and bruises. Even at the fastest speeds, it would take a whole month to hold hands, let alone kiss. People taught each other: "Chew thoroughly for lasting satiety - plow deeply for a good harvest." Everything was done slowly. Love lasted a long time. Children could play the same game day after day without getting bored. There were books that had to be read over and over again, even down to the information section about where it was printed and when it was submitted for copyright registration. How precious everything was back then! Now, you can't slow down like that anymore! Everything is fast. Dizzyingly fast. Eat fast. Sleep fast. Live fast. Get bored quickly. Some things that were just yesterday are cold today. Newspapers have been abandoned; nobody wants to read news from 24 hours ago when news is updated in real time. You can see me eating right now. You can't slow down at all. Those who are slow die. They die because they are trampled on by others in their race. People only slow down when... there's a traffic jam. And even in a traffic jam, people still weave through traffic, climb onto sidewalks, lean on cars, yell at those blocking the way, and curse at those waiting at red lights.

Vendors walk along the street during Tet (Photo: Nguyen Duc Nghiem).

I have no regrets about the past! I don't condemn the present either! It's just that I keep worrying that we're overlooking so many beautiful things on our journey. We rush our children to leave their childhood early, even earlier, sending them to English classes, handwriting practice, and math classes at age five! We rush even faster, forgetting to kiss each other before leaving home, rushing even faster at night to catch up on current events through constantly updated Facebook statuses, neglecting our partners who need a slow hug, who need peace lying beside each other. Even the stars haven't been gazed at for a long time. No one cares whether the moon is full or crescent-shaped. The flowers on the porch have just bloomed brilliantly, but we don't notice them. Slow down a little, please! Can we hold hands a little longer? Tell each other about the little things we encounter on the street instead of news about robberies, murders, rapes, or other people's affairs. Can we talk to our children without thinking? Can we laugh at even the most trivial things? Can we kiss slowly? Can we slow down a little before speaking, even when angry or upset? Many things can be fast, but love should be slow! Why? So that the years will leave more lasting memories instead of slipping away! So that we don't have to wait until we're old and weak to run before we can sit down and enjoy each other's company! That's all! Please! Please!

Author: Writer and journalist Hoang Anh Tu, formerly the Editor-in-Chief of the Vietnam Student Newspaper, known by the pen name "Anh Chanh Van" in Hoa Hoc Tro magazine from 2000 to 2010. He is currently a content creator with a large following on social media.

Dantri.com.vn

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