Waiting is a Thing of the Past

Have you noticed how little patience people have lately? No, you haven't? Oh it's probably because you don't have time to think about that. You have places to be, people to text, apps to download, stories to share, pictures to upload and things to twitter about. But let me tell you about a phenomena that has been taking place as a result of the technology explosion. Patience has gone out the window.

What will you wait for? A traffic light turns yellow, you speed up right? You don't have the time to waste precious moments at a red light. You're at the grocery checkout, you have 15 items and the lines are all long, sans the express lanes. The rules don't apply when time is of the essence, after all nobody's going to prosecute you for being "a little over". You're at the elevator at work or at your apartment building, you press the arrow and after 10 seconds, nothing happens. There's a likelihood its near, but time is too precious, you take the stairs instead.

These scenarios along with countless others are played out on a daily basis and in many cases are more neurotic than described. Yet, what is our big hurry? Why do we need to know everything when it happens, not after it happens? We don't. However, that's not the choice that most people accept anymore because unless you were born before 1950, you're likely caught up in the wave pool of every evolving changing lifestyles. If you were born before then, you might have the attitude of my grandparents, who often say I've lived this long without technology, I don't need it now. That is true, you can live without it for now, but it will die with that generation. Everyone else must accept that society will not wait for you anymore.

But there is still reasons to be patient and things worth waiting for. When's the last time you sent someone a letter? I challenge you to be different. Instead of sending that email or text, send a handwritten letter to that someone you care about. I promise it'll be worth your time and will last much longer than an email. Take the time to call someone. Texts are great, they save time and get the point across quickly. However, if you find yourself in a 20 text conversation, or maybe it's been 8 months since you've actually heard their voice, give them a call. It's virtually free on your cell phone plan and again, it'll go a lot longer than some words scribbled on a phone screen. Here's another thought, take a picture and print it out. Yeah, you can send it to them or tag them. But how many people actually send you a picture you can hold in your hands? Not many, people don't have the "time". Trust me, it'll be worth the wait.

While technology has certaintly improved and streamlined our world, there is still a place in this world for doing something that is worth the wait. Maybe next time you'll stop at the yellow light, wait at the grocery store, or take the elevator and use that time to think about what you might do with your next "waiting time".

All the best,
Brock