The Waiting

We’re just not good waiters.

Well, I mean, people who are paid to work as restaurant servers can be excellent waiters, but that’s not what I mean. People in our society are conditioned not to enjoy their stay in a queue.

Recently, for example, numerous Knox Countians participated in early voting for the 2012 Presidential Election. The people I talked to were extremely praiseworthy about the early voting process. They talked about how they were “in and out quickly” and didn’t have to endure a long wait.

I think the ‘no waiting’ part is what has pushed people away from the traditional voting on Election Day habit.

We just don’t like to wait. Have you heard anything positive about a trip to your local post office during the holidays? If not, just check one out starting next week and see the lines.

How long are you willing to wait for a table at your favorite restaurant? Most people blanche when told they won’t be seated for 30 minutes or more. This desire has created the ‘call ahead seating’ practice.

Traffic. The coffee shop. The drive thru. The doctor’s office. Even a wait for your turn to (ahem) use the facilities. We just don’t like to wait.

Over the weekend, Lisa and I were telling Holly about the grueling ‘drop and add’ process from our college days. Again, the part we focused on was how long the line was and how it snaked up and down the halls at UT’s old University Center before it, in some cases, extended outside onto the plaza.

It was never a pleasant wait but it could be particularly uncomfortable when you went back to school in January after Winter Break.

Lisa joked that “Kids these days have it easy…” when you compare the ease of drop/add via the computer versus the long line and associated wait that guaranteed you nothing more than a chance to stand at a computer terminal with an operator who’d let you know if there were any slots available in Psych 101 or Journalism 2215.

More often than not, you weren’t able to pick up what you wanted after that long wait but usually you were able to get something workable.

Recently, I have encountered a couple situations in which a wait was guaranteed.

In my old job, on certain days, I’d go to lunch at one particular restaurant. If you were unlucky, you’d get in a line behind this one person who was nominated to pick up lunch for her entire office.

Mind you, she didn’t call the order in ahead of time. Instead, she had it scribbled on a piece of notebook paper. And, get this, she’d pay for each order (up to 5  or 6) separately.

I always called her “And Then” because she’d place one order and then, just as you were hoping she might be finished, she’d say “And Then, I’d also like to order a (insert name of entrée).

It might go something like this:

Lady: “I’d like to order a grilled chicken salad with ranch dressing on the side and a glass of sweet tea.”
Cashier: “Is that all?”
Lady: “And Then, I’d like to order an individual sized cheese pizza with a medium coke, And Then…”

You get the idea. Six separate orders. Pay cash for the first two. Then a credit card. Then cash. Then a different credit card.

You were always guaranteed a long wait when you were in line behind ‘And Then.’

I think the worst place to be, if you want a short wait, is in line at your local quickie mart behind a lottery enthusiast.

Now, before I go on, let me say, I have nothing against Lottery Tennessee, personally or philosophically. I used to hate to hear stories of people rushing across our borders to spend money in other states just for an astronomical chance to win.

Still, if you’re in a hurry and you just need to tell the clerk “I had $10 on Pump 7…” you’ll be standing there for a while if you’re behind Mr. Instant Winner. And hope like heck he DOESN’T win because if he does, generally, that $4 will instantly buy more tickets!

It seems players have their own unique strategy…and strategy doesn’t move quickly.

Still, I am teaching myself patience when it comes to the lottery ticket buyers. In fact, Lottery Tennessee has been quite generous in helping to pay for the Tennessee Hope Scholarship and our family has benefited from that program (and hope to again next year). The program has funded higher education scholarships in the state for a number of years…and that’s a good thing.

So, I tell them…keep on playing. I will keep on waiting!

Patiently.

JG

Originally posted 11/19/2012