Hurry, America's Scourge

The first sermon in the world was preached at the Creation. It was a Divine protest against Hurry. It was a Divine object lesson of perfect law, perfect plan, perfect order, perfect method. Six days of work carefully planned, scheduled and completed were followed by,--rest. Whether we accept the story as literal or as figurative, as the account of successive days or of ages comprising millions of years, matters little if we but learn the lesson.

The first sermon in the world was preached at the Creation. It was a divine protest against hurry. It was a divine lesson in perfect law, planning, order, and method. Six days of carefully planned, scheduled, and completed work were followed by rest. It matters little whether we take the story literally or figuratively. It also matters little whether the days were successive days or ages spanning millions of years. What matters is that we learn the lesson.

Nature is very un-American. Nature never hurries. Every phase of her working shows plan, calmness, reliability, and the absence of hurry. Hurry always implies lack of definite method, confusion, impatience of slow growth. The Tower of Babel, the world's first skyscraper, was a failure because of hurry. The workers mistook their arrogant ambition for inspiration. They had too many builders,--and no architect. They thought to make up the lack of a head by a superfluity of hands. This is a characteristic of Hurry. It seeks ever to make energy a substitute for a clearly defined plan,--the result is ever as hopeless as trying to transform a hobby-horse into a real steed by brisk riding.

Nature is very un-American. Nature never hurries. Everything she does shows planning, calmness, reliability, and a lack of hurry. Hurry always implies a lack of clear method, confusion, and impatience with slow growth. The Tower of Babel, the world's first skyscraper, failed because of hurry. The workers mistook their arrogant ambition for inspiration. They had too many builders and no architect. They thought extra hands could make up for the lack of a leader. This is a characteristic of Hurry. It always tries to substitute energy for a clear plan. The result is always as hopeless as trying to turn a rocking horse into a real horse by riding it faster.

Hurry is a counterfeit of haste. Haste has an ideal, a distinct aim to be realized by the quickest, direct methods. Haste has a single compass upon which it relies for direction and in harmony with which its course is determined. Hurry says: "I must move faster. I will get three compasses; I will have them different; I will be guided by all of them. One of them will probably be right." Hurry never realizes that slow, careful foundation work is the quickest in the end.

Hurry is an imitation of haste. Haste has an ideal, a clear goal to reach by the quickest, most direct methods. Haste relies on a single compass for direction and follows its course. Hurry says: "I must move faster. I will get three different compasses and follow them all. One of them will probably be right." Hurry never realizes that slow, careful groundwork is the quickest way in the end.

Hurry has ruined more Americans than has any other word in the vocabulary of life. It is the scourge of America; and is both a cause and a result of our high-pressure civilization. Hurry adroitly assumes so many masquerades of disguise that its identity is not always recognized.

Hurry has ruined more Americans than any other word in the vocabulary of life. It is the curse of America. It is both a cause and a result of our high-pressure civilization. Hurry takes so many clever disguises that we do not always recognize it.

Hurry always pays the highest price for everything, and, usually the goods are not delivered. In the race for wealth men often sacrifice time, energy, health, home, happiness and honor,--everything that money cannot buy, the very things that money can never bring back. Hurry is a phantom of paradoxes. Business men, in their desire to provide for the future happiness of their family, often sacrifice the present happiness of wife and children on the altar of Hurry. They forget that their place in the home should be something greater than being merely "the man that pays the bills;" they expect consideration and thoughtfulness that they are not giving.

Hurry always pays the highest price for everything, and usually the goods never arrive. In the race for wealth, men often sacrifice time, energy, health, home, happiness, and honor. They give up everything money cannot buy, the very things it can never bring back. Hurry is a phantom full of paradoxes. Businessmen often want to provide for their families' future happiness. But in doing so, they sacrifice the present happiness of their wives and children on the altar of Hurry. They forget that their role at home should be more than just being "the man that pays the bills". They expect consideration and thoughtfulness that they do not give.

We hear too much of a wife's duties to a husband and too little of the other side of the question. "The wife," they tell us, "should meet her husband with a smile and a kiss, should tactfully watch his moods and be ever sweetness and sunshine." Why this continual swinging of the censer of devotion to the man of business? Why should a woman have to look up with timid glance at the face of her husband, to "size up his mood"? Has not her day, too, been one of care, and responsibility, and watchfulness? Has not mother-love been working over perplexing problems and worries of home and of the training of the children that wifely love may make her seek to solve in secret? Is man, then, the weaker sex that he must be pampered and treated as tenderly as a boil trying to keep from contact with the world?

We hear too much about a wife's duties to her husband and too little about his duties to her. They tell us, "The wife should greet her husband with a smile and a kiss. She should tactfully watch his moods and always be sweet and cheerful." Why must we constantly shower the businessman with devotion? Why should a woman have to look timidly at her husband's face to "figure out his mood"? Hasn't her day also been full of care, responsibility, and vigilance? Hasn't a mother's love been occupied with difficult problems and worries about the home and raising the children? And might not her love for her husband lead her to try to solve them in secret? Is man, then, the weaker sex? Must he be pampered and treated as tenderly as a boil trying to avoid contact with the world?

In their hurry to attain some ambition, to gratify the dream of a life, men often throw honor, truth, and generosity to the winds. Politicians dare to stand by and see a city poisoned with foul water until they "see where they come in" on a water-works appropriation. If it be necessary to poison an army,--that, too, is but an incident in the hurry for wealth.

In their rush to achieve an ambition or fulfill a lifelong dream, men often abandon honor, truth, and generosity. Politicians dare to stand by while a city is poisoned by foul water. They wait until they "see what they can get" from funding for the water system. If poisoning an army is necessary, that too is just an incident in the rush for wealth.

This is the Age of the Hothouse. The element of natural growth is pushed to one side and the hothouse and the force-pump are substituted. Nature looks on tolerantly as she says: "So far you may go, but no farther, my foolish children."

This is the Age of the Hothouse. Natural growth is pushed aside, and the hothouse and force pump take its place. Nature watches patiently and says: "You may go this far, but no farther, my foolish children."

The educational system of to-day is a monumental institution dedicated to Hurry. The children are forced to go through a series of studies that sweep the circle of all human wisdom. They are given everything that the ambitious ignorance of the age can force into their minds; they are taught everything but the essentials,--how to use their senses and how to think. Their minds become congested by a great mass of undigested facts, and still the cruel, barbarous forcing goes on. You watch it until it seems you cannot stand it a moment longer, and you instinctively put out your hand and say: "Stop! This modern slaughter of the Innocents must not go on!" Education smiles suavely, waves her hand complacently toward her thousands of knowledge-prisons over the country, and says: "Who are you that dares speak a word against our sacred, school system?" Education is in a hurry. Because she fails in fifteen years to do what half the time should accomplish by better methods, she should not be too boastful. Incompetence is not always a reason for pride. And they hurry the children into a hundred textbooks, then into ill-health, then into the colleges, then into a diploma, then into life,--with a dazed mind, untrained and unfitted for the real duties of living.

Today's education system is a monumental institution dedicated to Hurry. Children are forced through a series of studies covering the whole range of human knowledge. They are given everything the ambitious ignorance of the age can force into their minds. They are taught everything except the essentials: how to use their senses and how to think. Their minds become clogged with a great mass of undigested facts. Still, the cruel, barbaric forcing continues. You watch until you feel you cannot stand it another moment. You instinctively reach out and say: "Stop! This modern slaughter of the Innocents must not go on!" Education smiles smoothly and gestures self-satisfiedly toward her thousands of knowledge prisons across the country. She says: "Who are you to dare speak a word against our sacred school system?" Education is in a hurry. Better methods should accomplish in half the time what she fails to do in fifteen years. She should not be so boastful. Incompetence is not always a reason for pride. And they rush children into a hundred textbooks, then into poor health, then into college, then into a diploma, and then into life. The children enter life with dazed minds, untrained and unprepared for its real duties.

Hurry is the deathblow to calmness, to dignity, to poise. The old-time courtesy went out when the new-time hurry came in. Hurry is the father of dyspepsia. In the rush of our national life, the bolting of food has become a national vice. The words "Quick Lunches" might properly be placed on thousands of headstones in our cemeteries. Man forgets that he is the only animal that dines; the others merely feed. Why does he abrogate his right to dine and go to the end of the line with the mere feeders? His self-respecting stomach rebels, and expresses its indignation by indigestion. Then man has to go through life with a little bottle of pepsin tablets in his vest-pocket. He is but another victim to this craze for speed. Hurry means the breakdown of the nerves. It is the royal road to nervous prostration.

Hurry destroys calmness, dignity, and poise. Old-fashioned courtesy disappeared when the modern rush took its place. Hurry causes indigestion. In the rush of our national life, wolfing down food has become a national vice. The words "Quick Lunches" could rightly be placed on thousands of headstones in our cemeteries. Man forgets that he is the only animal that dines. The others merely feed. Why does he give up his right to dine and join the mere feeders? His self-respecting stomach rebels and expresses its outrage through indigestion. Then he has to go through life with a little bottle of pepsin tablets in his vest pocket. He is just another victim of this craze for speed. Hurry breaks down the nerves. It is the surest path to nervous exhaustion.

Everything that is great in life is the product of slow growth; the newer, and greater, and higher, and nobler the work, the slower is its growth, the surer is its lasting success. Mushrooms attain their full power in a night; oaks require decades. A fad lives its life in a few weeks; a philosophy lives through generations and centuries. If you are sure you are right, do not let the voice of the world, or of friends, or of family swerve you for a moment from your purpose. Accept slow growth if it must be slow, and know the results must come, as you would accept the long, lonely hours of the night,--with absolute assurance that the heavy-leaded moments must bring the morning.

Everything great in life grows slowly. The newer, greater, higher, and nobler the work, the slower it grows and the more certain its lasting success. Mushrooms reach their full size overnight. Oaks take decades. A fad comes and goes in a few weeks. A philosophy lasts for generations and centuries. If you are sure you are right, do not let the world, your friends, or your family turn you from your purpose, even for a moment. Accept slow growth if it must be slow, and know that the results must come. Accept it as you would the long, lonely hours of the night, absolutely sure that those heavy, slow moments must bring the morning.

Let us as individuals banish the word "Hurry" from our lives. Let us care for nothing so much that we would pay honor and self-respect as the price of hurrying it. Let us cultivate calmness, restfulness, poise, sweetness,--doing our best, bearing all things as bravely as we can; living our life undisturbed by the prosperity of the wicked or the malice of the envious. Let us not be impatient, chafing at delay, fretting over failure, wearying over results, and weakening under opposition. Let us ever turn our face toward the future with confidence and trust, with the calmness of a life in harmony with itself, true to its ideals, and slowly and constantly progressing toward their realization.

Let each of us banish the word "Hurry" from our lives. Let nothing matter so much that we would sacrifice honor and self-respect to hurry it along. Let us cultivate calm, restfulness, poise, and kindness. Let us do our best and bear all things as bravely as we can. Let us live undisturbed by the success of the wicked or the spite of the envious. Let us not grow impatient, resent delays, fret over failure, worry about results, or weaken in the face of opposition. Let us always face the future with confidence and trust. Let us do so with the calm of a life in harmony with itself, true to its ideals, and slowly but steadily moving toward their fulfillment.

Let us see that cowardly word Hurry in all its most degenerating phases, let us see that it ever kills truth, loyalty, thoroughness; and let us determine that, day by day, we will seek more and more to substitute for it the calmness and repose of a true life, nobly lived.

Let us recognize every degrading form of that cowardly word, Hurry. Let us see that hurry always destroys truth, loyalty, and thoroughness. And let us resolve to replace hurry, more and more each day, with the calm and peace of a true life, nobly lived.