The Act of Patience
Standing in line can be intensely aggravating. Whether it be waiting at the border or simply waiting in a line at the bank, standing in line can be pretty difficult. Usually, I meet this challenge with my ipod, a few songs, a podcast or a game or two.
But today was different. Instead, I chose not to go with my Ipod. I chose to wait and to stand as silently. It was a weirdly interesting experience. In 15 minutes,
- I made faces at an infant.
- I helped direct an elderly lady to another line.
- I smile a young person that looked like he was having a bad day.
I don’t want to sound pretentious, but I felt a lot better by not hiding behind my headphones. I was able to interact with those around me and possibly make things better simply by choosing to wait, by choosing to stand and not succumb to a desire to be entertained. All of these graces were had simply by waiting.
Sometimes, waiting is forced upon us and it an be difficult, but when a choice is made to deliberately do whatever is required (ie: wait, stand in line etc), I find there is a grace to be had that increases patience a hundred fold. Instead of being in a rush, choose to wait, choose to be patient, and turn something that is seemingly irritable into an act of kindness.
Patience then, isn’t merely a quality, it’s a choice.
A choice that requires and rewards ultimately with grace.
