Okay, where are they? It is an hour past the time we were to meet! They are not answering their cell phone---are they coming or not? Are they hurt, did something catastrophic happen to them? No they are just late and too cool to call and say" sorry! I am going to be late" , or" forget it , I 'm not coming!"
Ever been in that situation? Ever added up all the times in your life you have spent waiting for someone? You will be absolutely amazed at how many WEEKS of your life you have spent waiting for people!
You make a date with friends-you get to the destination and guess what? You Wait! At least today, with the advent of the cell phone, you can call and hope it doe not go to voicemail, for which you have to wait til the announcement stops and the message plays before you can leave your query," are you all right, are you on your way? Are you coming at all?" Then of course wait for someone to call you back. Yah, Sure!
Family gatherings, you get there at the appointed time, and guess what? You wait for those slow pokes that don't care who they keep waiting for their grand entrances! It is always the same ones isn't it!
Car pooling: what a nightmare, there is always one that thinks it is a real adventure to keep everyone in suspense as to whether we will get to work on time, because they cannot get it together to either be ready to be picked up or be early to pick up-they make you sweat and wait!
You go for an interview, set time, encouraged by interviewer, "please arrive 15 minutes ahead of your appointment" You comply, you are told someone will be right with you. Half an hour after your actual appointment, someone may or may not come and get you, or someone comes out and interviews you for a few minutes and ask you to come back at another time to wait again for a second non-interview.
Work meetings, someone who has something central to contribute always manages not to be ready and on time! So, we wait! Even your boss will keep you waiting, after all his or her time is more valuable than yours**** I don't think so, we all have the same life value and time is our life.!
You make an appointment with a professional for services, doctor, lawyer, counselor, dentist, lawyer, whatever-Guess what? They have no clue what an appointment is, appointment just means "Get here at such and such time and we will get to you when we feel like it" You are supposed to be happy that they even condescended to see you at all! After all they are the Professional, you are just the one giving them Your money for their services and discourtesy.. I waited 30 minutes in a cubical at the Vet's with my dog, and finally opened the door and politely asked" Did you forget about us, in here? "Oh. Wow, the unpardonable sin, "The Doctor has had an emergency and had to leave the building!, You just need to be patient and wait" Miss Snooty assistant informed me. I politely asked why she could not have had the courtesy to tell me, rather than leave me and my mutt standing in a 6'x 4' cubicle with just an exam table, no chair. I was told I needed to be patient and THE DOCTOR would be with me eventually. Well, me and my dog opted not to wait, I thanked Ms. Snooty for her disgusting behavior and manner and laughed as my dog pooped and pee'd all over the crowded waiting room floor, told her not to expect me back in the very near or distant future and to consider the mess on the floor as payment in full for our office visit! I am not putting down the expertise or education of Vet's, but why do they so openly take a disdainful attitude of people who love their pets and try to get them medical attention! You have all had similar experiences, right? But I digress, that is for another column, this one is about waiting your life away!
You go to a "Fast Food" restaurant, and discover only the food is "FAST", the service is snails pace, in fact, you could go to a set down, get served restaurant and be done eating your meal in the time it takes to get some hokey "fast food" (sometimes it even costs less at "sit down").
You call or go, in person, to get customer service (the newest "F" word "customer service") and you wait and wait and wait! And then they make you feel like you must kneel and prayerfully thank them for taking care of your problem( but the problem does not always get taken care of so you just waited all that time to thank them for something they could not or would not do!). Let us not even go to the place you are when you are directed to a country thousands of miles away, where they have not a real clue what your life or problem really is another waste of time!
SIDE BAR; Have you ever wondered how many calls AFTER your call, have been answered, while you are still on hold?
HIGH ANXIETY***WAITING FOR SOMEONE, ANYONE OR SOMETHING, TICK TOCK TIC TOCK!
How about traffic lights? Ever wonder what mad genius playing god and ruling your life, is behind the science and engineering of the traffic lights? Those wonderful six minute lights and the left turn green that only goes green every three red lights? It takes 30 minuets to go 6 miles, 20 minutes of which is spent at red lights? The speed limit may be 45 mph, but the traffic light says WHOA, just as you reach 30 mph so you can stop at the next light, which has turned RED! WHO knows what evil lurks in the hearts of traffic engineers!
Been to a theme park, concert, movies, sporting event in the last ten years? The name of the entertainment game is WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! 30-45 MIN'S TO GET ON A 5 MINUTE RIDE ! COOL! Wait in line for very expensive movie tickets then wait to spend $ 20.00 at the concession stand for a small soda and medium popcorn and miss the start of the movie. WOW! Thank you so much! Same scenario for concession stands at sporting events, they want your money for the high priced food and drink, but they won't provide more stands and servers to accommodate you, so you wait and miss the big play! Grocery stores; 10 cashier stands, very busy, long lines to pay YOUR money , because only two cashier stations are opened. Heaven forbid there should be more cashiers and packers to accommodate the customer! Then of course they up the prices to get you back!
How 'bout way back when, did you get left waiting when you could not get yourself to and from on your own? How long did you wait after the movies, at the mall, even after school, did you have to wait and anxiety attack over your ride? Did you ever think "THEY ARE NOT COMING-THEY FORGOT ME!" Did you ever end up walking or hitching a ride , because they DID forget you? YAH me too!
Well we could go on and on but there is not enough paper to print all the waits on., so that is a fair sample.
I guess this is just a grunt and complaint article, as waiting is an ingrained part of modern life. I laugh when I hear all the experts say how fast life is today, and we should slow down. Ha! Ha! Life is only fast getting to the WAITING ZONE!
There is no solution, but we can all help, by not keeping people waiting, being on time, or early, calling when you cannot help being late or not being there at all! Just a little time courtesy in being ready to pay or to do what ever function you need to do so the next person in line does not have to wait so long. Just little courtesies to save wait time for the next person. Tell your professionals, next appointment they keep you waiting more then 15 minutes, you will bill them by the minute for your precious life's time! So let's spread our courtesy dust over all the wait zones and maybe, someday they will all poof away in the wind! And, do not forget to pick up your precious children or keep them waiting; remember the nine month wait you had to endure waiting for them!
Just Maxine
