What Are You Waiting For?

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{Illustration by the heads of state}

You know those days, when your timing is just never quite right?  Things finished early and I was waiting to meet up with my sister.  Later in the day, I had to drive my sister to an appointment and wait for her there.  We were expecting it to be maybe 30 minutes, but it turned into an hour and a half of waiting.  Since I had no idea how long it would be, I didn't want to take off to go somewhere and then leave her waiting for me to come back.  So I waited.  

Of course, I didn't have a book.  I was stuck in a car with only the radio to keep me company.  No good songs played on the radio only the never ending loop of top 40 songs.  I surfed the web for awhile, but there was nothing to look at.  It was too hot for my liking yesterday.  Syd, you really have to learn how to drive a manual car.  I like the breeze and the sound of the leaves rustling in the tree.  Are you as bored as I was? 

I was entertained for a moment by a couple office workers sharing some office gossip in the parking lot.  It's not my fault they were talking really loud and I was only sitting a few feet away with my windows open.  No, don't go.  Can't you see I'm bored over here?  I'm not necessarily nosy, just entertained by people in general.  That's why I can't pay attention to anything when I'm at a coffee shop trying to study. Too much going on.  Interesting people coming in and out.  If I see someone, completely engrossed in a book in a public place, I find them all the more intriguing.  I wish I had that concentration.  What book are they reading?  See instead of focusing on my work, I'm thinking about this other person focusing on their work.  I get distracted easily.  Gah! 

Then, because that appointment went longer than expected, we didn't have time to go home before we met our friend at a restaurant downtown.  If we went straight there we would be there early, therefore more waiting.  We didn't have anywhere else to go in the meantime and if we went somewhere then we would probably be late.  I hate those extra 15 minutes.  What do you do with 15 minutes?  

At the restaurant we waited for our waitress for an unreasonable amount of time.  Waited for our drinks, waited to order, waited... well you get the picture.  We aren't in Italy where they savor that long evening meal.  It's just in our social norms I suppose to expect a certain amount of attentiveness.  Oh well.  The conversation and ice cream were worth it. 

The day ended on a high note with some tea and A Little Princess.  Mmm good! 

I'm not good with waiting.  I don't know what to do with myself if there is not much going on.  I need to work on being a more contemplative person, I guess.  One who can be content with just sitting, alone with their thoughts.  Can one learn this?  

Sidenote: That quote up there.  I like.  Don't you think that makes a great ice breaker question.  What are you most passionate about at this moment?  If someone is passionate about something doesn't their whole demeanor change when they talk about it.  They could go on forever and we would all want to hear about it, because we can see it's that important to them.  Or they might not have an answer to that question.  I feel sorry for those that don't.  There is still time to figure it out.  Get on that. 

Waiting for all these little things isn't fun, just like waiting in life.  You will drive yourself crazy waiting for things to happen.  Sometimes you have to just jump and make things happen.  Easier said than done.  I'm still working on it.  

What are you waiting for?