Time Passing Doesn't Always Feel Like It Use To

In the world of near instant gratification for nearly anything, I often wonder how the generations that don't remember a time when most things weren't instantaneous will evolve. There was something to be said for having to wait for things; a deeper appreciation, and longer lasting excitement were par for the course. Sometimes, I even find that I forget what it means to be patient, as so much of what I want is now at my fingertips.

A text, a phone call...there's no more waiting for days. If someone doesn't respond within minutes, we find ourselves at a loss, wondering what on earth is taking so long. Minutes, not hours, and definitely not days. Mere minutes has us impatient and clicking our tongues in exasperation over not having that instant response we have grown so addicted to. It's almost scary to think about.

When life is spent without much waiting - actual, true, more-than-five-minutes waiting, we have little idea how to placate ourselves in those times when there is not immediate result, answer, or fulfillment. Our attention spans, and that of our tolerance for being patience have been whittled away to that of a toddler. It's as though, thanks to technology, we have no concept of what waiting really entails.

Standing in line at the store, we grow irritable if it takes more than 10 to 15 minutes to make it to the cashier. If a web page takes more than 30 seconds to load, we start showing signs of impatience. When we text someone and they don't immediately respond, a whole host of scenarios as to why race through our heads, and we take the delayed response personally. The reality is that none of these things fits into the supposed attention span, or depicts the patience of a grown person. It's almost shameful to consider how often I react as though I was 7 years old again. At least during those childhood years, we were once developing patience, and it was completely acceptable to feel like 30 minutes was three hours.

I've found that when I become aware that I am rushing through life, impatient with anything that moves faster than instantaneous, it's time to step away, and put things into perspective. I only hope that the younger generations who never had that accrual period of patience, manages to find a way to cope when it's time to unplug for a short time. I am grateful that I remember a time before cable, cell phones, or the internet. That experience provides the perspective I need when I get too wrapped up in the now. And it's been beneficial tonight, as I remember what it is like to wait on my sons' coming home from their holiday with their father's side of the family. Those few short hours can suddenly feel like an eternity, so this kind of reality check helps time pass less painfully. Of course, it's always a great reassurance to get that cell call that they are on their way home.