The computers are down and all we can do is stand. It is a 2-hour wait to talk to an agent. Unfortunately, something else is wrong with my ticket and I can't get my boarding pass at the kiosk and requires another hour wait. The other passengers swirl around me getting boarding passes and charging to the gates, but I wait. Finally, the bags get checked, but the boarding pass I am given is for a flight that is gone. I get through security and straight into another line for to rearrange for the missed flight. Over the next 2 hours, the line inches forward. The wait pays off and an hour later the plane lifts off the tarmac.
This day will be one for the Southwest Airlines history books. For several hours, their entire computer system was down and nationwide all flights were grounded. Thankfully, this one time, I was flying early enough that landing late, wouldn't perturb the schedule. Many others were not as fortunate and were waiting in line for a glimmer of hope to fly the friendly skies. Once in the air, reflecting back on the time standing in line, the hours seemed to have collapsed into a single moment and it was hard to believe that it was 3/4 of a workday between arrival and departure at the terminal.
When you wait, how well do you wait? Waiting reveals much about who we are and is an opportunity for increased self-awareness. Most often, waiting is not a strength for me and I work my way to the front of the line for answers. Once I know details, the wait is easier. Like all virtues, we don't like to put them to the test. The good news is that this virtue can be learned and strengthened. Take the chance to practice patience, an opportunity is right around the corner; just be patient, you will see.
How have you grown in patience? When does waiting bring out your inner temper-tantrum? How have you become less patient? What makes the waiting worse? When did you wait well and why were you successful? What is a strategy for waiting well?