If I ruled the world, planet Earth would be a much more patient place to live in. Just think about that for a minute: a patient planet Earth. The possibilities are endless.
No more annoying customers cutting in line. No more obnoxious drivers honking their horns. No more trampled soccer moms at Black Friday sales. No more wailing and gnashing of teeth when Pipeline decides to move at a snail’s pace during class registration week. With patience, everything would move at a gentler pace and stress would be a thing of the past.
Perhaps one of the biggest examples of rampant impatience happens on airplanes. I totally understand why people are impatient on airplanes and in airports. Passengers are on a time crunch. They need to get from Point A to Point B in as minimal time as possible, which means running through a layover like a madman, trying to make a connection that is usually at the last gate of the furthest terminal of Concourse Z. As a frequent flyer during the holiday seasons, I understand the need to rush through airports. But it is when a passenger is on the airplane that impatience becomes a tedious pet peeve of mine.
The impatience is born from the moment passengers set foot in the cramped, stuffy, narrow belly of the airplane. First off, nearly everyone on the flight ignored the regulation sizes for their carry-on bags, so naturally people have to fight the current of oncoming passengers to check their bags to go underneath the plane. Second, the flight attendants are nearly always hassled. Passengers are still talking on their cell phones, Kindle readers always forget they are not really reading a book and no one pays attention to their in-case-of-an-emergency guidelines they have to do before every flight. So, their frustration adds to the impatient cloud brewing with the nasty-smelling artificial air coming in through the weird, pointed vents overhead. And then, finally after takeoff, the third ingredient hits the boiling pot: A baby starts crying.
And that is when the impatience erupts. The poor mothers sit in the back of the plane, trying to shush their screaming infants while the other passengers rip out their best dagger eyes and set their sights on the mother as if it is all her fault for their disrupted plane ride.
We have all been on planes with screaming infants. Most plane rides are not luxury liners that guarantee peace, tranquility and extra peanut bags. So do not expect it.
So instead of shooting daggers at the poor mother, swallow your frustration with your complimentary soda.
Impatience is an epidemic in our culture. We want everything now, now, now with 4G and an espresso to go. Heaven forbid YouTube not load fast enough or we might actually have to suffer an awkward silence.
So start learning patience; it is not only a virtue but a great stress preventer as well.
