Hurry Up and Wait

I'm back from my short break and wanted to share an interesting experience.

My wife and I came upon quit a bit of traffic on a heavily used highway. It was a holiday weekend here in the U.S., so this was expected. However, the traffic was not due to the abundant amount of holiday travelers, but a major accident. The right lane was merging into the left lane to allow emergency vehicles to tend to the people involved in the accident as well as clean up debris. My wife and I happened to be in the right lane. As we started merging over to the left lane, there was a car that did not want to let us in. We thought, what the ???? There are three ambulances to our right, people are hurt (maybe even worse) and some guy is in such a hurry, that he can’t even take this accident into perspective and let a car over to get out of the way of the accident. The car finally let us over after I glanced out the window and put my hands in the air in a helpless manner.

What is it that makes us impatient? What’s the hurry? Seriously, in this day and age, why do we rush to hurry up and wait?

I too often struggle with impatience. I like immediate results. However, if I’m more patient, think about things more, and take one step at a time, wouldn’t I still end up with result, perhaps an even better one? Below are some quotes that are helping me keep things in perspective.

"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day."
~ Alan Alexander Milne

"A man of sense may be in haste, but can never be in a hurry."
~ Lord Chesterfield Stanhope

"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."
~ Aristotle

"With love and patience, nothing is impossible."
~ Daisaku Ikeda

"Rapidity does not always mean progress, and hurry is akin to waste. The old fable of the hare and the tortoise is just as good now, and just as true, as when it was first written."
~ C. A. Stoddard