I had a dentist appointment, and I was really looking forward to it.
Not the dentist part...the waiting room part. Last appointment, I had a revelation in that waiting room. Sitting alone in the quiet room, I suddenly realized just how mentally cluttered modern life is. So, despite the magazines and wi-fi, I just sat there doing nothing.
But I wasn't actually doing nothing. I was thinking.
That's something I don't do much anymore. If I find myself with a spare minute, I pull out my phone and keep myself frantically occupied. And it's not that I'm so busy, it's not even that I need to, it's just that I can.
Somehow, all these devices in real-time have taken over down time. Look at the line in the post office or the bank or the supermarket - check out the crowd waiting at the airport - every head is bent over a screen.
But these days, when I'm waiting for something, I leave my phone in my pocket and connect with myself. I've discovered wait time is valuable - to reflect, think about stuff, just let my mind wander. And now, instead of hating waiting, I enjoy it.