Efficiencies

I'm starting to see a pattern in my life. I've gotten so impatient the last few years. I mean, everything has to be a shortcut or "efficient." I realized this as I was driving home tonight after work. I was cooking dinner for a friend, and had to meet at my house. I wasn't particularly in a rush though.

But strangely enough I'd roll up to the stop sign and barely pause, legally enough, but I realized that I was doing so to be more efficient. Or in my thoughts "efficient."

So I looked up the word. (Thank you dictionary.com)

1. Acting directly to produce an effect: an efficient cause.
2. 1. Acting or producing effectively with a minimum of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort.
   2. Exhibiting a high ratio of output to input.

Unnecessary effort huh? Who's judging what's unnecessary? For safety or even pure "pass your driver's test" reasons, I perhaps should do more than pause. I should fully stop, like the blue haired matrons who always end up in front of me.

And when someone beeps in impatience behind me, are they determining unnecessary effort? And why is effort so unnecessary? Why don't we just make the effort regardless of whether it's indeed necessary or unnecessary?

I pondered these questions today and in that unwitting and perhaps I'll change my lifestyle way. Living in Los Angeles may slow that learning curve; everyone here exhibits "efficiency." So does my corporate life. But I wonder if some of the best moments of my life are being lost in efficiency...