Be Patient

Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue

Devils Dictionary;Ambrose Pierce (American satirist)

It seems to me that technology is expanding at such a rate that we are in a constant state of anxiety just trying to keep up. This seems to contradict what the technology creators tell us. Isn’t all of this new technology supposed to make our lives easier, to make accomplishing tasks quicker, thus freeing up time for us to spend with our family and friends or doing other things we enjoy doing? Is that what is happening? I think not.

It appears that we have become so conditioned to believe that we should not have to wait, that we have a society that is in a constant state of impatience. How many times have you stood beside the fax machine waiting for a document to come through and steamed with the delay, or waited for something to download onto your computer or Smartphone?  I think it is time we recognized that the faster things can be done, the more we are expected to do. There is no new “free time” as a result of technology; we are just expected to do more. We need to recognize that the advancement of technology to make things faster, is not about making our lives easier, or freeing up our time; it is about money, pure and simple.

It seems we have become so conditioned that we must have everything quickly, that if we are forced to wait, while we ride the bus, or wait in line at the bank, we must have something to distract us, we have lost all sense of patience. Although it is nice to have a phone with you in case of an emergency or to call someone and let them know you will be late, do we really need it to watch TV on, to play games on? Before it was available, did you even think that is something you wanted, or needed?

And now we are starting to train and condition our children in this same way, at a very early age. I just saw an Advertiement for the Ipotty!? Seriously? Do we now have to give our children computer games to play while they sit on the potty?  Listen, I’m not against technology, but I have been thinking more about its impact lately. Mainly because I have been thinking a lot about waiting, which makes me think about patience. I am thinking about patience, because I am sitting in a recliner chair waiting for my pager to go off to tell me that it is time to go to the hospital for a lung transplant.

According to Wikipedia:

Patience (or forbearing) is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

Yup, that pretty well sums up what I am doing. Trying to persevere. People tell me “Oh Mike I can’t believe how patient you are being”. And I sit here and think, “Well it is not like I have any other option”. However, you know what, that is not true. I do have an option, and you do too. Although it is true I have no choice but to wait, it is also true that I can choose the attitude I will have while I wait. I don’t enjoy waiting, but I don’t see any advantage in complaining about it. Even if there was someone to blame, what would be gained by yelling at that person? In any event, I anticipate the pager going off soon, so, in the words of Margaret Thatcher,

“I am extraordinarily patient, as long as I get my own way in the end”.

One last quote, this from Leonardo Da Vincini:

Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.

So, be patient, don’t be in such a hurry. You only get one life, enjoy the journey