Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Waiting Game

There was a time in my life when I used to be a terrible waiter. And I don’t mean restaurant server. Although I did waitress a long time ago when God was a boy and that’s another story for another day. But getting back to the waiting bit: impatience was-and sometimes still is- my middle name. I was deadly waiting in doctor’s offices and standing in line at the bank or grocery store. And God forbid the person who cut ahead of me. I’d put my hand out and say firmly, “Excuse me but I was next in line.” If there was a hold up in the line ahead of me, I’d start to sigh and shift on my feet and if I was really pushed over the edge, I’d start making tsk, tsk noises. Sitting in reception areas, I was no better. After about 45 minutes, I’d badger the receptionist with questions like, ‘how many more minutes?’ and ‘how many people are ahead of me?’ They must have cringed seeing me walk through the door.
However, I am happy to report that all of that has changed. In an indirect way, I have to credit motherhood with tempering that over the top impatience. Motherhood is a 24/7 job and because of that, my favorite hobby of reading gets put on the back burner- a lot. But a few years ago, I cured that. I now carry my book with me, at all times, in my purse and in my car. Now, I don’t mind going anywhere where there’s going to be waiting. I read in the doctor’s office, standing in line at the post office and waiting outside the boys’ school to pick them up. There have been times that I have been disappointed to hear my name called or my turn arrive in the line as I was usually at a good part in the book. The only place I can’t read is while driving in a car- well not me driving- that would be something wouldn’t it? That would be tricky, trying to read while driving a car- and I drive a manual! That’d give a whole new meaning to the word ambidextrous. Anyways, I tend to get car sick while reading when the car is in motion. But I fixed that too- now I nap- because that’s another thing you get deprived of with motherhood: sleep.
I don’t wait anymore. But I do read a lot.

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