Patience

I have never been one to have much patience. In fact, throughout my entire life, that is usually the one repetitive complaint. Everyone from teachers (Kate is so smart and friendly, but so impatient) to friends (If you would just learn to wait…) to colleagues (Take your time. It will happen.) have all had something to say about my lack of it. In fact, I would say it is probably my worst fault.

I’m not an entirely impatient person. There are special populations and situations I think I have more patience than the average person. It really boils down to expectations. I expect waiters and waitresses to do the job they are paid to do and provide timely and decent service. I expect people to know how to generally do their job. I expect people to be on time. I expect that people communicate to some effectiveness. When people are slacking on something I am expecting them to do, I get impatient. I also hate waiting. Nothing is worse to me than standing in a long line. If someone is being nit-picky, like arguing over a sale that amounts to 10 cents in the grocery store, I have been known to offer the person the 10 cents to just let it go so the rest of us in line can get on with life. And so on. My mom recently told me I had embarrassed her in front of friends because I acted visibly impatient and mad that our waitress was taking 5x longer to perform tasks and get us things we needed (like drink, food and check) than the average experience. I wasn’t even nasty to the waitress. I simply kept asking for the things we were supposed to get…ok, and I will concede I was slightly snippy. But I was NOT making a scene.

I am also someone that learns by doing. Reading directions and following them to the last letter is never something I have done well. I rarely ever read through directions before diving into a project. While my creativity in exploring the problem might shine, it has happened on more than one occasion that I spent all of that time doing it completely wrong.

Where I do have patience is when I am not expecting something out of the person or situation. I am very patient with the elderly (except in traffic when they shouldn’t be on the road anyway and are going 20 mph UNDER the speed limit). I will wait for them, walk with them and listen to the same stories over and over again because it brings a smile to their face. I have a heart for children and all of their messiness, as well as their meanderings. And lastly, I love volunteering with special needs populations. My energy often gives them a much needed boost and understanding in life that most people do not stop to give. In return, I have been awarded some of the most special experiences.

I am also the rare calm person in emergencies. It is almost like all of my impatience does a 180 to give a peace of mind to function carefully and thoughtfully, but efficiently. I have taken care of more than my fair share of accident situations with complete strangers I just happened upon…well, perhaps I was there for a reason?

I think about that when someone starts in on me about my typical lack of patience. While I certainly try to work on my patience levels in day-to-day situations, especially when they are completely out of my control, I also have to remember that it takes everyone to make the world work. If everyone had patience with everything and waited calmly for life to come to them, what would get done? However, if everyone ran after life without pausing for a breath, we’d all keel over with heart attacks by 35.

In keeping with the theme and to give me words of wisdom on the subject of patience, I found several quotes that I liked:

Patience is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. ~Unknown

Patience will achieve more than force. ~Edmund Burke

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

Let nothing disturb thee;Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains all that it strives for. ~St. Teresa de Cepeda

A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains. ~Dutch Proverb

It is very strange that the years teach us patience - that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting. ~Elizabeth Taylor, "A Wreath of Roses"

We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world. ~Helen Keller

There will be a time when loud-mouthed, incompetent people seem to be getting the best of you. When that happens, you only have to be patient and wait for them to self destruct. It never fails. ~Richard Rybolt

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew. ~Saint Francis de Sales

Life is all about timing…the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable becomes available, the unattainable…attainable. Have the patience; Wait it out. It’s all about timing. ~Stacey Charter

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead. ~Mac McCleary

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life. ~Chinese Proverb