Waiting. A waste of time or a time to think?

Waiting.

Whether we like it or not, waiting is something

we all have to endure at some time or another.

It intrigues me how it seems to be easier to

wait for something when we are given an estimated 

waiting time.

''Your table will be ready in ten minutes, the doctor/

dentist/counselor/solicitor/etc. etc. will be with you

shortly.''

Shortly? How long is a ''shortly''?

So, here's the thing with language, any language.

Language, in my view, is a system of symbols which

we use to express meaning. Meaning is not in the language

itself, but in the meaning we ascribe to the words we use.

It may seem as if meaning is in the word itself, but

is it really?

''Shortly'' for one person for instance may mean 15 minutes,

for another person it may mean two minutes.

As a ''frequent flyer'' at hospitals and medical clinics, I 

have learnt that ''the doctor will be right with you'' is

seemingly a very malleable concept.

 (It can actually mean anything from 30 minutes to seven hours

in my experience.)

  In my view, the word waiting is not ''time'' specific, neither is it ''experience''

specific. 

Depending on what we are waiting for, it seems we can experience time 

 as dragging, as speeding, or even as standing still.

''And the winner of the Best Overall Composition is.. ''

time stopped as I waited for the announcement.

''My name is Doctor Smith and I am a surgeon at The General

Hospital. Your son has had an accident and we need to 

operate on him immediately. Do you consent?''

Driving as fast as I could to the hospital, I felt as if time was dragging.

''How long did it take you to paint that painting?''

''I have no idea. Time seems to fly when I paint.''

''Time flies when you're having fun,

time drags when you're in pain,

time stops when you're really, really scared.''

(Citizen Z)

Waiting, as far as I can ascertain, always include the

passing of time. This, for some of us, can perhaps be experienced as

''wasting time''.

Wasting time as in: ''time elapsing in an unproductive manner.''

Well, these days we have a cure for any time wasting: the smart phone,

 the laptop, the i-pad, or any tech-device that can be used to fill in

(being productive in some way) time while waiting.

According to research done by Microsoft, our attention span has

dropped 25% in just a few years.

Not saying this is the case, but perhaps that it may have made ''waiting''

seem more of a waste of time than an opportunity for

a time of reflection and mindfulness.

Have you ever said: "I haven't even had the time think

about it?''

If you have, then perhaps those un-expected or even expected moments

of waiting can be used for thinking?

(According to those in the know, we make ''better'' decisions when 

we have thought things through.)According to MentalHelp.net:

''One of the most frustrating of experiences is having to

wait.''

They also point out that becoming enraged will not speed up

the waiting time, all it does is raise our blood pressure and

put undue pressure on our hearts.

In a few days I will have to deal with some serious waiting

myself while my son undergoes an operation on his abdomen.

But as a frequent flyer at hospitals, I come prepared with

books, sketchpads, and Oh yeah, a smart phone.

''What we are waiting for is not as important as what

happens to us while we are waiting. Trust the process.''

(Mandy Hale)