Wait

     We all seem to be so impatient.  We don’t feel that computers are fast enough, nor are microwave ovens or other devices.  And yet it seems that wherever we go or whatever we do, we always wind up having to wait!  I’m sure you have noticed the same thing.  We go shopping at the grocery store or to Wal-Mart or to any other place and when we RUSH in to get a few things quickly, we always end up standing in the check- out line and waiting until we get our stuff paid for and can be on our way.  The same is true for other places.  Consider the following:

     We get into a really BIG hurry to make sure we’re not late for our doctor’s appointment.  So we’re usually fifteen to twenty minutes EARLY!  Then what happens?  We sit in the “waiting” room until finally we get called in for our appointment.  But we STILL have to wait.  We’re put into a little room until the nurse shows up.  She asks us a few questions and then says, “The doctor will be in shortly.”  Now we’ve already been waiting PAST our appointment time, but what can we do?  So we sit and wait some more!  Have you ever tried to count those little holes in the ceiling tiles?  It’s not an easy task, but you surely have the time to get it done.  After the doctor does come in, your waiting may not be over.  The doctor may want you to have “other” tests done and those too will require waiting.  And “heaven forbid” she or he wants to send you to the hospital to get something checked!!

     At this moment I can really understand this procedure.  I am sitting in the Social Security office waiting room and I DON’T have an appointment.  Of course, they take you in order of your arrival but you never know what the people ahead of you are going to be discussing with the clerk nor how long THEIR time with the clerk is going to last.  So you sit and wait “patiently”.  That’s not always easy to do when you have other things to do and you are trying to “guestimate” in your mind WHEN you are going to be able to take care of those things.  All the while you sit as others come in and they are also waiting with you!

     Some people will start to become impatient and complain about having to wait.  Although they COULD have come in earlier if they were that constrained for time.  But alas here we all sit until our number gets called.  What else are we going to do but WAIT?  As for myself I am using this time to compose this blog entry, but that too is a matter of some planning ahead knowing you are going to be waiting until they call you.

     We all know of many other situations where it’s a “hurry up and wait” process.  As you ponder the various situations in YOUR life that put you in a “WAITING” position think of the other things you have to do and see if you can use the “waiting” time more effectively.  Even if you could only come up with the idea of reading, make sure you are covering materials that would otherwise take time from your other daily activities.  This could wind up saving you time or at least giving you the means to get other activities caught up.  Or you can just enjoy the time reading things that will help you pass the time of waiting.

     It seems that regardless of the technological advances we make, there are ALWAYS going to be those situations where we have to WAIT!  If you can’t find anything else to do with the time while you are waiting you may find an opportunity to catch up on reading my blog posts.  Or you can just sit around like most of the others and complain about having to wait!  Not logical, but we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Don't wait for an opportunity to help someone ---

make an opportunity!"