Patience

[Mitch f]

The other day I started to take notice of people going in and out of Quik Trip. They were literally in there for 60-120 seconds and out the door. Most people were paying with credit or debit cards, the transactions took less than 20 seconds. When someone wanted cigarettes or a lottery ticket, you could see the impatient sighs happening. As comedian Louis CK says, the people in line are kind of like a silent movie of impatient people. He also noted that at the post office you actually start to feel the scrutiny of the people behind you in line checking you out to see if your package is “worthy” of wasting their time.

I love watching people in grocery stores too…if there are 4 lines available you can almost see people move in ways that would make a cutting horse jealous. Invariably the line they choose will have someone in front of them needing a price check. My friend worked for a major corporation in St. Louis and reported directly to a well-known CEO. This CEO has all the nasty traits associated with the stereotypical CEO with few redeeming qualities. They had to go to Wal-Mart together and buy supplies. When they got to the checkout lines the CEO had a cow because every line had three people in them. He got upset and told my friend to just leave the cart full of stuff and let those MF’s clean it up because it was their fault for not having enough lanes open.

We live in a world that when we make a phone call the signal goes to space and back and we get upset if this process takes more than a few seconds. We are upset because of weather delays at the airport and take it out on the ticket agent, who has absolutely nothing to do with the delay. Even when we do have to drive or fly a long way, we have GPS’s, Smart phones, DVD players, Kindles, accessory plug in to our car stereo, etc. My 10 year old gets impatient for more than 5 minutes in the car without some type of electronic device… My 2 year old says “daddy iPhone!” Even my dog is impatient!

I’m saying all these things like I’m not guilty myself, which is a lie. I can sometimes be the most impatient person in the world. Case in point, I watched a guy stir his coffee for 40 seconds or so while he blocked access to anyone else getting in to the cream. I finally just looked at his face from the side profile and noticed he was in a peaceful trance with a little Mona Lisa looking smile on his face and really enjoying the moment, so much so that I actually felt horrible for being impatient and thinking those thoughts. I’m sure he had no idea what was going on.

All this said, I can turn the switch and fish all day long without a thought in the world for time. I once glanced at the time and opened up an ice cold coke and took a drink and set it down on the deck next to the foot control for the trolling motor. Ten minutes later I took a drink and the soda was completely hot…WHAT? I thought. Well when I looked at my watch it was an hour later! I guess I was just casting and in a dream world, kind of like that guy in the coffee shop…

[creekin bassnerd]

louis ck is awesome,

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Mitch, Your putting this all into perspective, and I for one don' have the time to read it. :-)

[STL Matt]

Yes! I love it. I'm with you on time ceasing to exist when fishing. I can't count the days where I went out in the morning, then looked up and assumed a storm was rolling in, but actually it was just dusk already, and no wonder my stomach was growling...

[E Green]

completely agree on the time ceasing to exist thing....I have been here in the southern MO Ozarks (just east of Elsinore MO) for almost 3 years now and i have become a completely different person (moved here after 6 years in milwaukee...also spent time in chicago and grew up on campus at Kent State University in NE Ohio). Wade fishing 10 mile creek near my home is such a treat....all the stresses of the week just wash away....