I hate lines. And yet, I drove to the mall tonight to get some holiday shopping done. The dashboard said the temperature outside was 65 degrees. We live in the Northeast. It's December 15. NOT normal.
The mall had people milling around but it wasn't exactly bustling. And it's just 10 days till Christmas. NOT normal.
Despite that, I stood online for 15 minutes at one department store (Macy's!) to check out. TOTALLY normal. Subprime mortgage crisis aside, could ridiculously slow cashiers be one reason for the crappy economy?
Ah, patience. You'd think that when you have a kid with special needs, you might end up with more of it. And the thing is, for Max, I do have all the patience in the world. I never, ever get frustrated with him for not being able to do something. I will go over the same thing—numbers, colors, the name of the city we live in—again and again so he absorbs it. I have learned to toss the parenting books and ask Babycenter to quit sending me weekly e-mails about milestones, and just pay attention to what Max is doing, rather than what he isn't.
I also have a goodly amount of patience for my job, which I adore. But in all other areas of life—like waiting on any line or waiting for something to load on this computer—I have very little patience. I have so much to DO in general that I have minus-zero time to wait around for trivial things.
Know what I mean?
Yeppers! I stood waiting the other day in a store, potentially wanting to purchase a BIG money item (I wasn't going to, I just wanted something they had behind the counter, but still...) and yet I couldn't get someone to help me to save my life. I could have probably been dying on the floor in front of them and they would have just stepped over me! And the post office...the one I like to go to, only because I can park right next to the door, so the boys can't dart in front of cars and be run over while I am trying to carry Victoria and whatever packages I am mailing, has the slowest help known to man. They take FOREVER! C'mon people, how long does it take to sell a freakin' stamp???
ReplyDeleteI guess it is my fault, as I did go yesterday, the busiest day of the year for them. At least a woman in front of me let me go ahead of her...after waiting for 20 minutes my patience level was -10 with the boys. Thank you lady!
Hi Ellen, first hugs, second, one of my favorable quotes!
ReplyDelete"Patience is the companion of wisdom."
-Saint Augustine
I really don't mind standing in a line HOWEVER, I do mind when the person behind me takes up my personal space; moves one step closer and nearly on my heels when I try to move forward and away. Argh, and then is breathing down my neck, or so close I'm getting their sneezes all over me. : D
Thanks, Sarah H and Kim, for having the patience to comment today and sharing your usual good wisdom.
ReplyDelete:)
I had no patience at all until I become a mother.
ReplyDeleteNow, I am like you. I have patience for the things I need to have patience with, for the things I value - ie my children.
BUT I still have no patience for things that are not important to me. OR for things that just should be done quicker or more efficiently. I hate it when staff in shops waste time. When drivers drive really slowly. When someone giving a presentation spends a ridiculous amount of time answering a question from someone in the audience that has no relevance at all to the rest of the audience - like, why can't you tell them you'll speak to them later???
I think for me, what's changed is that I value my time with my children so much more AND because I am so busy with my kids (especially all the additional things I need to do with BC therapy wise) I really value ANY spare time I might have to do other things. AND I get very frustrated by anyone who waste that time for me!
Right, I think I now need a cup of chamomile tea to calm down :-)