The Garden Snail

Finding Joy in Slow Progress

According to the Guinness World Records, this tiny creature holds the esteemed title of being one of the slowest beings on our planet, trundling along at an average speed of a mere 0.03 miles per hour.

But why are snails so painstakingly slow?

Snails navigate their surroundings using a rippling motion of muscles across their one large foot, with each glide carefully aided by the mucus they secrete.

While this may seem like an arduous process, it’s their way of life.

Their sluggish movement is further influenced by their metabolism, as their diet largely consists of leafy greens, which offer a relatively low energy yield compared to their energy expenditure during digestion.

Despite that, capturing this particular snail proved to be quite difficult. The windy conditions made it particularly challenging, and to add to the complexity, I had to rely on manual focusing because I was using an older Nikon macro lens on my Olympus mirrorless camera via an adapter.

The remarkable attribute of these snails lies not in their speed, but in their unwavering determination. Despite their slow progress, they persevere, steadily inching closer to their destination without faltering.

This is a huge contrast to some of us who tend to give up when we don’t see immediate results in various aspects of life, such as business, health, or relationships.

In the face of slow progress, we should take a cue from these resilient snails and find joy in motion. Even when it seems like we’re moving at a snail’s pace towards our goals, we should keep the faith that we will eventually get there one day.

This story is written in response to the November prompt, Joy in Motion.