waiting

i am a born "waiter" (not the kind that brings you an entree). i think it is a british cultural-behavioural throwback. the stereotype being that they will wait patiently in the queue to; buy a pint of milk while the mother with a set of hyperactive triplets is unable to locate her preferred customer card, or visa, finally having to dig out her chequebook, is then unable to locate a pen, or new cheque, while redirecting little timmy to not open the cereal just so he can play with the limited edition disney toy...

there are grants used to identify how much time the average person spends doing a variety of mundane and routine things from sitting on the toilet to trying to find the remote control. in an average day there is an awful lot of waiting that goes on; waiting for the coffee, waiting for your turn in the bathroom once you've had coffee, waiting for the shower water to go from polar to scalding. waiting for other people to do something is particularly popular with the passives; to hear back from prospective employers, for someone else to make a decision, call, a move. delaying gratification is a useful tool in a nice shade of grey, however when it becomes a lifestyle you have no business looking down on the non-delayers.

patience is a virtue (apparently). cinderella waited, and she got to exchange floor scrubbing for palace living. sleeping beauty at least got some rest, albeit 100 years, til her "reward" came along...i must find a non-fairy tale/happily ever after/prince charming as reward example.