Indeed, micro-evolution is quite fast because the rate of mutation is relatively high and generations are short. Macro-evolution is actually not generally well-understood by lay-people, primarily because it involves thinking on a scale that is so far outside of our short lifetimes. Not many people are capable of thinking on a scale outside of their own asses let alone across thousands of generations, hence the severe level of closed-mindedness in this thread alone…
I think the idea I was referencing when I mentioned evolution not being observable in one’s lifetime is actually better stated as:
Evolution cannot be observed in the lifetime of an individual of the species in question. I.E. A HIV “cell” won’t live to see the evolved, drug-resistant ones down the line