Any person who has lived more than one day in our country is well aware that our society is best described as a “hurry up and go” society. We jump out of bed in the morning, brush our teeth as we throw on some clothes, slap some peanut butter and jelly on two pieces of bread for our kids’ lunches, and run to the car with an overflowing coffee cup in one hand and a mascara brush in the other. We then arrive at work, start checking our meeting schedules and e-mail while we make phone calls to various service companies to find the most reasonable price for fixing our inoperable dishwasher. After a long day at work, we rush home, grab some food from the “golden arches” for the entire family, open the mail, pay the bills, check the kids’ teeth to make sure they’re clean, then jump in bed to start the cycle over again the following day.

The question I have to ask is this—does it have to be this way? While many of us feel this is the only way simply because it’s all we know, there are many, many societies of happy individuals that think we are robotically insane. One can only appreciate our robotic ways when looking at our society from the outside. Have you ever visited Western Europe? Specifically Italy? If so, you know exactly what I mean—so much so, you can already feel that sense of peace you had overlooking the Tuscan landscape while sipping chianti. The Italians have it all figured out and we would be remiss if we didn’t take meticulous notes. Why are they so different, you ask? First and foremost because their values are in the following order: family, food, fun, work (which is only included because it’s necessary for the latter two). Our values are quite the opposite. We spend all of our time and energy at work, such that we have absolutely none when we get home. This then leads us to have no fun, fast food, and little time for our families.

A day in the life of an Italian is polar opposite from that previously mentioned. They slowly crawl out of bed in the morning, relax for several minutes while they drink espresso and enjoy breakfast, then spend some time with family before leaving for work. They then drive to their place of employment, where they will spend only a few hours before they drive back home to enjoy a few hours of a multi-course, freshly prepared lunch. After returning to work for a few hours, they head back home mid to late afternoon for a peaceful nap. Dinner will be ready as its preparation began after washing the dishes used earlier at lunch. The evening is enjoyed by the entire family and sleep is of good quality due to the lack of stress experienced during the day.

Which day would you like to wake up to tomorrow?