Did you know that it takes most people 12-72 hours to completely digest a meal? 

This morning I decided I was going to time myself eating breakfast. Including the couple of minutes I spent on re-heating a cup of coffee, all in I was done with breakfast in 20 minutes.  I know I am a fast eater. Most mornings if I am not self-consciously timing myself, I would have been done in 10 minutes. Growing up my role models, my mom and Goggy ate very quickly, as a young parent, I would grab something in between taking care of the kids (or more often, eat their leftovers as I cleared the dishes), and later as an overwhelmed business owner, I often found myself standing up and reading while eating. Despite my love of cooking and interest in food, I  have and do easily fall into mindless ingestion.

This can happen too with information. I am an avid reader. I am interested in many different topics. I love to learn. It is easy to ingest without digesting. How often have I read 5 different articles in short succession only to have the facts and details blur into one mass of media? 

Being vigilant about the kinds of information I consume is the first designated step in my personal plan to separate myself from the Attention Economy. The next step is to allow the information I select, to digest more completely before adding additional inputs. As quickly as Goggy ate, my grandparents were slow. I remember them encouraging me to chew thoroughly and adopt their 30 chews per a bite rule. Frankly, it seemed excessive, and depending on what we were eating, a little gross. However, too much, too fast is guaranteed indigestion whether it is information or food.

I propose a ‘Slow’ movement, like Slow Cooking or Slow Food. Any thoughts as to a name? How about Slow Consumption or Slow Ingestion? I kind of like Slow Thinking. I am going to give myself some time to consider the options.