The Art Of Slowing Down
On a warm January Sunday in Catalunya, we find ourselves on a mystical adventure. The surroundings are such that if you were to jot down the makings of an ideal Sunday, it might look like this one.
The late afternoon sky is turning orange just behind the beautiful stone village of Castellar de Tost, which has about 10 full-time residents. Occasionally on weekends or holidays, the population may double to 20. All from one family.
As the cows are being fed and the dogs put up for the night, I scan the folding tables which are now pushed together having been occupied three hours earlier by a few of our friends and a couple of the 10 family members from town. The tables and chairs rest in a small patch of grass beside 1,000 year-old home which adjoins a small church of the same age.
Empty wine bottles rest on the linen table cloths alongside the parts of fresh baked loaves of bread, cleaned bones from the assortment of meats, half-finished pastries, and a stove top espresso coffee pot.
What tells the story of this particular afternoon though are the remnants of black ash on our fingers. This smudged-in ash is a sign of a successful calçotada, a winter season social gathering in which calçots, a kind of long, green onion, are grilled over an open fire, and then consumed among family and friends.
No utensils are needed. Strip back the charred green leaves from the onions, dip in romesco sauce, then extend the onion high over your head, and lower into your mouth. Standing up of course.
A stone patio overlooks our outdoor dining space. I wander up there, alone, to watch the late winter sun fall behind the Pyrenees mountains. Three generations of family and friends reminisce around the fire and nurse whatever remains in their glasses. A moment of absolute simplicity created by the art of slowing down.
There are no goals to their discussions. Their conversation has no end game. They do not need tactics nor life hacks to create this “slow down” moment.
Centuries of culture and community have instilled in them “the art of.” Their art comes in many forms.
More artists wanted.
With gratitude,
-Joe
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