Yesterday, the city of Detroit installed their 10,000th speed hump.
This news story caught my attention for two reasons:
- What is the difference between a speed hump and a speed bump?
- Could we intentionally create speed humps/bumps in our lives?
What’s the Difference?
Apparently, there is a difference between a bump and a hump.
The speed bump is taller with a more aggressive slope. They are often used in parking lots and around schools where speeds need to be dropped quickly.
The speed hump is more gradual and commonly used on public roads and residential streets.
Both are considered “traffic calming” mechanisms.
This shifted my thinking to item #2 – how might we apply this calming technique to our lives.
My Perspective
I think the concept might allow us to find ways to calm our lives.
What if we created speed bumps and humps in our day as a reminder to slow down?
We could send our future self an email to arrive at noon the next day suggesting we “breathe”.
We could place a note in our notebook that says, “this too shall pass”.
We could put a post-it-note on our steering wheel that says, “work is over, enjoy family time”.
We could put a lock timer on our phone to shut off at 8pm and not turn back on until morning.
The ideas are endless and could be tailored to our own situations.
Each of us likely knows the time of day and types of speed bumps and humps we need.
Anything that provides a sense of calm in a busy day is worth a try.
Your Turn
What times of day are the busiest, and you feel like you are always “speeding”?
Do these times need a speed hump or a speed bump?
Are there three things you could do to add calm to each of these situations?