On Waiting

We spend so much time waiting in our lives.  I was thinking about that this morning as I was walking the dogs.  We took our restored route to the plaza via the newly completed railroad underpass.  It was delightful to be able to go that way again as we had done for so many years.  As I was walking, it occurred to me how the memory of two years of waiting, waiting, waiting, was already beginning to evaporate into the nether regions.  It is funny how while I am waiting, the time seems interminable, and, then, once the anticipated comes into being, the wait time is quickly forgotten.

We wait nine months to be born.  Our mothers wait too.  But once we are here, do we remember any of it?  Where do those feelings of aching anticipation, longing and impatience go?  I guess we are just programmed that way.  While waiting, we are motivated toward motion toward the goal.  If we were not, nothing would get done.  Once realized, the feelings before are neatly tucked away in memory files we rarely ever open again.

I think of this when I think about how I longed to get through elementary, junior and senior high.  I didn't want my college years to end, but, still, waiting was involved there too...for the inevitable.  I worked almost thirty years for the County,waiting for the day I could retire.  When it came, it was as if thirty years melted away into a condensed memory.  I remember events, but the agonizingly passing of the time, not so much.

Now I don't wait so much.  I have come to realize that now is now.  No point waiting for tomorrow.  What a waste of time waiting!  I anticipate the future, make appointments and plans, and dream of road trips and travel.  But meanwhile, I practice being mindful of today and all its gifts.  We are given an amazing gift every day to do with as we till whatever stage we are on.  Wow, that's deep.  But it is so true.  Like right now, I am writing this and you are reading this and for all we know these events are happening simultaneously.  Parallel universes.  But wait!  That's a good subject for another blog.   Stay tuned!

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