Let’s be honest for a second: we are a culture obsessed with speed.
From next-day delivery to life hacks meant to shave three minutes off our morning routines, we treat time like an enemy we have to outrun. We spend our twenties, thirties, and forties firmly pressing the gas pedal, convinced that if we just move fast enough, we will eventually reach some magical finish line where we can finally relax.
But what happens when you realize the finish line isn’t a destination, but simply the end of the road?
In his deeply resonant book Musings, Ramblings and Reflections, Vietnam veteran and author Camillo Albert Pizii offers a radical, refreshing take on this exact dilemma. Through his poetry and essays, Pizii challenges our modern obsession with rushing. He takes a hard, honest look at the realities of aging and proposes a concept that sounds counterintuitive at first, but is actually profoundly liberating: realizing you have “less life left” is the ultimate permission slip to finally slow down.
The Trap of the Fast Lane
When we are young, we feel immortal. We waste time, we rush through milestones, and we stress over timelines we completely made up. Pizii explores this early-life ambition in his book, admitting that his youthful dreams were entirely self-centered and frantic.
But as the years pass, the math changes. Pizii captures this shift brilliantly in his poem “Speed Limit.” Instead of writing about aging with dread or denial, he embraces it with a wry, grounding wisdom.
“We’re much too old to go that fast,” he writes. “We have much less life left / Slowing down is now our task / Less life would leave us bereft.”
For a lot of people, admitting they have “less life left” triggers a midlife crisis. It sparks a sudden urge to buy a sports car, pack the schedule even tighter, and try to outrun the calendar. But Pizii argues the exact opposite. If your time is getting shorter, why would you want to blur through it?
Slowing down isn’t a sign of weakness; as Pizii notes, it is our new “task.”
Time Expands When You Stop Rushing
There is a fascinating piece of psychological math tucked inside Pizii’s poetry. We often equate living a “full” life with doing a lot of things. But Pizii understands that a full life is actually about paying attention to the things you are already doing.
In “Speed Limit,” he writes:
”Less life does not mean less hours / I think you know what I’m saying / If we use them wisely, stop to smell the flowers / We’ll have more time left for playing.”
When you rush, time disappears. Think about your morning commute—you probably don’t remember a single tree you drove past because your brain was on autopilot. But when you intentionally slow down, you force your brain to engage with the present moment. An hour spent quietly sitting on the porch feels significantly longer and richer than an hour spent mindlessly scrolling through your phone.
By pulling off the metaphorical highway, Pizii reminds us that we aren’t losing time. We are reclaiming it.
How to Apply the “Speed Limit” Philosophy
You don’t have to wait until you are retired to start putting Pizii’s wisdom into practice. The beauty of Musings, Ramblings and Reflections is that it offers a roadmap for anyone feeling burned out by the pace of modern life.
If you want to start living with a little more intention, here are three ways to adopt Pizii’s philosophy today:
- Audit your internal speed limit.Ask yourself: Why am I rushing right now? Are you actually late for something vital, or have you just conditioned your nervous system to be in a constant state of hurry? Next time you find yourself aggressively weaving through traffic or rushing through dinner, intentionally take your foot off the gas.
- Notice the “pennies.”In another wonderful poem in his collection, Pizii writes an ode to the discontinued copper penny—a quiet reflection on how easily we discard things we deem “unimportant.” Start noticing the pennies in your own life. Pay attention to the sound of the rain, the taste of your coffee, or the way your dog dances when it’s time for a walk.
- Redefine “wasting time.”Hustle culture tells us that if an activity isn’t productive, it’s a waste of time. Pizii’s poetry argues that taking the slow way, simply to “sense the sublime,” is the most important work you can do.
Intersecting Paths
Aging is a privilege that not everyone gets to experience. As a combat veteran, Pizii knows this truth more intimately than most. He survived the unimaginable chaos of war, and that survival has given him a profound reverence for the quiet, unhurried moments of civilian life.
“Enjoy what you read, as my words just may intersect with yours,” Pizii tells his readers.
His words are a gentle tap on the brakes for all of us. The highway of life will always be there, loudly demanding our attention. But true joy is found on the exit ramp. So go ahead—pull over, roll the windows down, and take the slow way home. You’ve earned it.
