Najja Hennix
March 29. 2016
English 1121/D465
Textual Analysis
Stop and Smell the Roses
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.” It used to annoy me when my grandmother would tell me to stop and smell the roses, but as I get older I truly understand what she was saying. I run through life just jumping hurdles. I am worried about my next test/work and I never stop and appreciate what I have in front of me. I am alive, young, healthy, and smart. These are all positive attributes I take for granted everyday. It is important to take time to relax and appreciate the beauty of life. This is what the poem Slow Dance by David L. Weatherford illustrates in terms of time/speeding, little moments, and appreciating life.
People speed through life. When you go day by day only worried about school or your troubles in life, you are not truly living. In almost each stance in Weatherford’s poem he talks about speeding through life. He says, “When they ask, “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply, Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die Cause you never had time, When you run so fast to get somewhere You miss half the fun of getting there.” Life is not a race, and when you make it one you miss all the important moments.
Time stands still for nobody. Live each moment and enjoy it because when it passes you cannot get it back. My dad took me to see my grandmother one day but I did not really want to go. I would much rather rush home and watch television. So I rush through the visit. I did not care much what was going on just wanted to rushed and get home. My grandmother pasted away that night. I wish someone had told me to enjoy those moment and not rush through them. The poem paints a clear picture of people rushing through life and helps you appreciate the time you have.
