Mini Article on Patience from
"A-Woman's-Life"

I've Lost My Patience by Tami Marple

I always thought you were supposed to become more patient the older you got. Maybe I did somewhere along the way and I just don't remember, or maybe I missed it.

I took my Jeep into the local service center the other day and decided to wait while they did the oil change and basic check up. I knew I would have to wait awhile, but I didn't expect to have to sit through new rear brakes and a balance job. I was squirming in my seat like a four year old, pouting and wanting to ask every five minutes, "Is it done yet?"

I always seem to get in the slowest line at the grocery store. I used to be a switcher until I realized that the line I was switching to would end up moving slower than the one I started in. My patience would greatly improve if I were lucky enough to be told personally by a checker that they would help me in a different line. But then again, there were those times I would be stuck in line forever, usually behind the lady with a hundred coupons (not that there is anything wrong with coupons), then a checker would call out that they can help someone over at their checkout stand and I would watch as all the people who just walked up behind me make a beeline to that checkout stand with no line at all. Meanwhile, I wait and wait.

I quite often have a hard time getting my main and side dishes to sync up when I am cooking a large dinner. Something always ends up too cold and another is overcooked. I know that this is a talent that takes practice, but I want to be able to do it now.

Then there are the days when I manage to get a meal prepared to my liking and my family is enjoying it, the conversation is pleasant, and then bam, the phone rings and it's a salesperson, a salesperson who could care less whether I am eating dinner or not.

I try and try to make sure I am always on time to functions and meetings, but it never fails when I am running on a tight schedule or a bit late I hit every yellow and red light in my path. I can't tell you the things that I say when I am in the car alone while I am waiting for that ever so long red light to change.

I get impatient while I am watching a favorite television show, especially the reality shows that are on now. I watch and watch waiting for the highlight of who is getting voted off or is getting picked for whatever and the next thing I know they make me wait while commercials run. Now, granted I could care less if it is a show like the Superbowl where the commercials are the show, but I get frustrated with the daily stuff and the ads that play over and over.

When I go on a diet I become very impatient. I understand that I didn't gain the extra weight in a day or two, but I want it gone that fast.

I have a beautiful little dog that keeps me company while I work. Since I work from home, I too get a little lonely at times. She curls up next to me and listens to me type page after page of words, not complaining or judging, just there for me. But as soon as the phone rings, she finds something to bark at, a squirrel outside the window, the mailman, etc. If I didn't know better I would think she were a kid wanting attention.

We have become a very impatient society. We don't know how to function without microwaves, instant coffee, and immediate gratification, let alone interruptions, inconveniences, laziness, and irritations. And then throw in a little PMS and we have a kettle that is about to boil over.

We are all impatient once in a while and some of us all of the time, but we learn as we age that we don't always get what we want, things don't always go our way and there are many bumps along the road. We learn to accept life's little quirks and make adjustments to compensate for those things that irritate us. After all, when was the last time you laid on the floor and had a temper tantrum because you couldn't have a cookie? Instead, we accept it and move on and because we are adults we go ahead and eat the cookie anyway.

So, do we actually become more patient as we age? After all, impatience is just human nature and each generation must deal with their own set of circumstances. So as an adult how do we change our impatience into patience? We can't give ourselves timeouts or send ourselves to our rooms.

The first clue to unlocking your impatience is in recognizing it.

Become aware of your reactions to different situations - your body language, your facial expressions, or the words that you use most when reacting impatiently. Once you start paying attention, you will be amazed at how easily you recognize the signals of your becoming impatient.

As you start to recognize the situations that lead you to losing your patience, you need to learn to prepare for what is a stressful situation for you, and keep yourself from losing your patience by removing yourself from the situation, counting to ten, etc. In these situations, by not reacting rashly, more productive results may occur.

By learning how to control your impatience, and by not giving in to your urge to instantaneously react to a stressful situation, you may find that the situation isn't as bad as you thought.

"Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of Paradise, because of impatience we cannot return."
W. H. Auden


 

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