The agony of waiting

Posted 12/16/21

I am like a child…I don’t like to wait.

The worst, most ludicrous waits have been in the queues at major amusement parks like Disney World and Busch Gardens.  There should be no …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

The agony of waiting

Posted

I am like a child…I don’t like to wait.

The worst, most ludicrous waits have been in the queues at major amusement parks like Disney World and Busch Gardens.  There should be no ride worth waiting two hours, yet that is how long the interval can be.  Similar to the lines at the checkpoint at the airport, waiting involves walking back and forth and back and forth a gazillion times, which is excruciating on my knees and legs.  Idle conversation with others eludes me, and although playing games on my phone is an option, I chose not to lest I become inattentive and either walk right into the person I am following, or allow a big gap between me and the next person.  While a gap once in a while doesn’t bother me, it seems to bother everyone standing in line behind me, who become annoyed and aggressive about this transgression. In reality, I would be happy to stand in one place and hold up the line right up until the line has emptied out and access to the ride is imminent, and then skip up to the entrance.  Alas, my creative method is not acceptable.

Waiting for a doctor appointment can be interminable. Sitting in a comfy chair, legs crossed with one leg bouncing up and down, a People magazine will come into view and I will begin to read how Nicole Kidman plays Lucille Ball in a not-to-be missed movie. (Ooooh!  A movie!  Hot buttered popcorn and Diet Coke!  But I transgress…) Reading passes the time until my name is called to go in and see the doctor, so the wait is not awful.  

Waiting for the results of a medical test like a biopsy can be frightening.  Although the vast majority will most likely be negative, one can never know that for sure until “the call” comes. In the meantime, visions of leaving my five adult children motherless, (as though they cannot take care of themselves), and the songs to be played at my funeral, (Amazing Grace and The Prayer of Saint Francis,) invade my unwilling brain. Fortunately, I am put out of my misery by receiving the call about a more positive outcome.

Waiting for a refund check to come in the mail can be tortuous.  The amount of agony is directly related to the amount of the check. When anticipating a check in the several thousand-dollar range, I made a bee-line for the mailbox every day for three weeks, experiencing disappointment each time our crooked, black plastic mailbox with the uneven door was empty. As the time passed and the medical bills piled up, the mailbox forays became more frantic, until, at last, the anticipated envelope with the financial windfall lay there singularly, causing a little jump in my heart. 

Waiting for a vacation, and to see my son’s family after two years of COVID restrictions, has been difficult. Finally, on December 25, I will be going to California to spend a week with them. Francis has usually come to RI to celebrate Christmas with our extended family, but, unfortunately, his three-year-old son does not fly well.  Tragically, Sam was oxygen deprived during the birth process and has multiple disabilities as a result.  He has sensory integration issues, and wearing a mask for COVID and sitting restrained in a child seat for several hours are not in his repertoire of skills. Francis recounted a recent flight they took for a Thanksgiving holiday whereby they were almost thrown off the plane because of Sam’s refusal to wear a mask.  Even though I was able to arrange a mask wearing exemption from the FAA for his disability, Sam’s capacity to sit for long periods of time would still interfere with a flight to Rhode Island.  So, I am looking forward to my trip to California to visit with Francis’ family. I cannot wait to take my granddaughter, Izzy, to the movies!  I cannot wait to take my grandson, Sam, to the children’s play place where we can cuddle among the crawl balls, and to play in the pool with both of them.  Ultimately, I cannot wait to hug my son and his wife, and tell them what awesome parents they are! 

Yes, waiting can be difficult, but, hopefully, the results are worth it.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here