Worth The Wait

Do you spend a lot of your time waiting? I sometimes like to think that I am the master of my own fate, but then I hear the words, ‘The doctor will be right with you.’ I don’t know what the statistics are and, probably, any that exist are now out of date, because it seems that the more we have to do, the more we wait around.

I’m waiting in my car. I’m waiting in line. I’m waiting for a call. Or, that email. When I was a kid, I was waiting to get older. Now that I am older than I thought I’d ever be, I’m waiting to and am hoping I can remember what I was just talking about.

This must be why I don’t wear a watch. Actually knowing how much time is spent waiting would be demoralizing. Why they have a clock on the wall at the Post Office is a mystery to me. Going postal isn’t exclusive to employees.

I am thinking that most people are optimists. No one thinks that they’ll have to wait this long. We can’t imagine a reason for it, but reality and the Twilight Zone are getting closer and closer to each other, with each passing day. Some practical people are reading books they have brought for just this kind of occasion. I always thought these guys were a little nerdy or had no imagination, but now I see the wisdom, the incredible foresight they possess. The woman three places ahead of me is writing in a notebook. The guy across the room is on his cell phone. I used to think this was rude, but it’s beginning to appear reasonable.

It doesn’t matter if we’re waiting for the dentist or the movie, waiting is waiting. I begin looking around, to see how everyone is taking it. A minute later, it seems I am developing Restless Leg Syndrome.

It’s a miracle we don’t rush the door. But what’s true is something that gives me both pause and patience. We are, each one of us and, as a group, acting civilized in a most generous way. We are waiting together, waiting our turn. We are exercising consideration and fairness for each other. We are embodying compassion and understanding.

My impatience has turned to admiration and I look around with pride, knowing that we can cooperate and not go crazy. I take deep breath and smile, even as I sneak a look at the clock on the wall and think about cutting in line.