Rush, Rush, Rush (Do You Need to Slow Down?)

In the Old Western film, "The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)" (Henry Fonda and Anthony Quinn starring), a farmer is murdered and the townsfolk hunt down three men who did it. (Or so they think.) After all, they have the dead farmer's cattle in their possession. (We would have thought them guilty, too?)

The rest of the movie highlights the back and forth that takes place on whether or not to hang the men right then and there ~ without waiting for the sheriff, aside from judge and jury.

Ultimately, the three men are poised on horses. Their heads are stuck in nooses. The horses are shooed. The three men swing. Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh. Crack. Crack. Crack.

Not too long after this the unexpected news arrives. (WARNING: Spoiler coming) It seems that the farmer really isn't dead after all. (Oops.)

Of course, the movie/story is about a rush to judgment and the danger of mob rule. But I think it's even simpler than that. It's about being in a rush.

Hurry, hurry, hurry.

Go, go, go.

Run, run, run.

Race, race, race.

And when we live our lives at breakneck speed we make mistakes. We miss things. We don't allow for input. We hurt people.

Do you need to slow down?