“Du är vacker“ (You are beautiful)

“Du är vacker“ (You are beautiful)

When I first moved to Stockholm, I noticed everyone walking fast—on the street and in the subway stations.

After I was amputated, I found this physically challenging as I could no longer walk very fast, even if I wanted to.

When I worked in an office, a group of us would always go out to lunch together. Since everyone walked fast, I often got left behind a bit, but there were always a few people who walked with me.

This was frustrating at first, but I eventually got used to it—I even looked forward to going at my own pace.

After a few months, one woman from our lunch group said:

“I like walking with you.

It gives me an excuse to slow down, which I need at lunchtime.”

I asked her what prevented her from walking slowly otherwise.

“I need to keep up with everyone else”, she responded.

What other things do we do because everyone else is doing them?

We are social creatures, so the influence is powerful.

What could people do if they slowed down a bit?

If you want to go slowly, I am your guy.

My motto: “Go slowly and fix things”