Waiting is a Life Skill you Need

Waiting…it is a life skill you need. For three days I tried to connect with a human being at AT&T to change my tv/internet/phone plans. Every morning I was on hold, waiting. For 30 minutes I kept being told it was a 9-minute wait. I clearly was not giving it enough time before I had to go to work. Finally, after the third attempt and when I had no where else to go, I got through to a human after 52 minutes. Then, I waited while the agent goes back and forth with the 'retention' team while discussing my goal to eliminate tv. Then without warning, I got transferred to someone else and started all over with my initial goal.

Oh, but wait, once you decide to make changes, you get transferred again to the 'implementation' team. Are we done yet? No, I get to the point of pulling the trigger and the bill is more than my original starting point. NO!!! So, the agent now has to reach out to the 'back office' to get the charges reviewed and corrected...tik tok... tik tok...

Waiting, I keep telling myself, is a life skill I need. After a grand total of 3 hours and 4 minutes, I ultimately arrived at the conclusion of my AT&T waiting adventure. I hope this was worth it.

Back in the 80's

Who remembers having to wait in massive lines for concert tickets? I skipped school one day in high school to stand in line to get Def Leppard tickets. By the time I got close to the ticket counter, it sold out.

I asked my dad wait in line for Pink Floyd tickets when they performed in Ohio Stadium aka The Shoe. He willingly did it; a man of patience and unconditional love.

In college, I stood in a massive line at Texas Tech University at the registrar’s office. Yes, the line went out the building and around the corner. It took hours to get scheduled for classes. Lord, kids have it easy these days.

Waiting remains a vital skill even though most things now are now done at our fingertips. It is so valuable no matter what time of year, and definitely a plus for the Holiday season. We face massive lines at the UPS or USPS, lines at airport security, and in the stores. No wonder why so many people switch to online shopping.

How do you get through ‘waiting’? Are you the type that complains the entire time? Do you patiently hold on or do you let your disgust be known as a flailing toddler in the grocery store checkout line with no self-control when told 'no, you can't have that'?

What I love about waiting

Slowing down—this is what I actually love about waiting. Most of the time there is not a dang thing you can do about it. It is not in your control. Why waste negative emotional energy getting mad? You do have a choice!

Whether traffic, the post office, a grocery store, or Lord, have mercy an airline or TV provider phone line, you simply must wait. Be grateful the 'do it now' and high demand for immediate action stops while you wait.

Get over it, you must do it.

Smile, bring the joy back to society, speak to others around you. Get your head out of your phone.

Use the time to brainstorm…on a project you want to do or your next vacation. I am thinking it is time to go somewhere out of this heat. I cannot wait until Fall!!!