Willing to Wait
It was only recently after I had taken up knitting that I began to relish the 30 minutes sitting in my allergist’s office after getting my injections. For 25 years I had perfected the art of sneaking out when no one was looking.
Virtually every place that offers allergy shots has a sign posted warning patients to wait for as long as 30 minutes to see if they have a reaction. Supposedly reactions can range from red and swollen arms to anaphylactic shock. Even Deborah has told me stories about what happened to those who didn’t wait. But since I have never experienced anything in this reaction gamut, I ignored the warning signs and ducked out... always!
Yesterday as I sat there knitting, I calculated that I had passed up as many as 325 justified hours of sitting doing anything of my choice over the course of my allergy treatment. What a shame to have given up all those hours so I could race back to my desk at work or get over to swim practice to drive the carpool home or go home to cook dinner.
How many opportunities does life present us with to sit and relax? I can’t do anything about my 325 wasted hours, but I can assure you that from now until the day I either expire or quit taking allergy shots (which will probably be the same day), I will be taking full advantage of that luxurious half hour.
posted by Barbara at 9:22 AM
15 Comments:
as a true readaholic I never mind any opportunity to sit and read. any excuse, really... a heavy rain begins as I'm about to exit my car to buy groceries.. I pull out a book and wait. a heavy rain is usually good for a few chapters .
I do want to learn to knit though--am waiting for enough people so we can begin a beginner's class.
Squirrel -- Reading with the rain pounding down outside the car sounds just perfect to me. I'm finally learning how to enjoy such moments. Never too late, yes?
time to think and time to wait...
I always have a book in the car and a book in my purse... but often I remember this saying from a poster in the 70's:
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
but sometimes I just sits.
How many opportunities does life present us with to sit and relax? About as many opportunities as there are stars in the sky. We choose how to spend our time. If your priority was to return to a job that would have paid you for 1/2 hour of sick leave had you chosen to use it, that was YOUR choice. The dinners you rushed home to make could have been picked up precooked somewhere.
We can see tons of stars on a clear, country sky away from city lighhts, but some people are so wrapped up in their little selves that they never take time to pause or look up.
Kelly -- I love that saying!
Anon -- You are so correct. I'm definitely trying to look at the sky more and more.
I have a lot of experience with all kinds of waiting. Mostly I don't like it. But if the environment is pleasant I don't mind at all! You've got to grab those moments of relaxation wherever you can find them.
I generally don't mind waiting; we all do so much of it. I try to enjoy the downtime with a book, with a notebook, with my thoughts. How wonderful.
Cyndy -- Having something meaningful to do makes all the difference in the world.
Kristin -- Somehow I can't picture you without a book tucked away in your backpack.
getting an ipod had a similar effect on me - i so rarely just listen to music whilst doing nothing else, its a treat
My mother, who was more religious than I, used to say her prayers while waiting. If reading a book is not an option (the grocery line or waiting for the light to change, or being stuck in traffic), I try remembering every poem I ever memorized or sing to myself as many lyrics I can remember. Or I amuse myself by making up stories or poems about my fellow travelers. Waiting at the doctor's or dentist's office is a great time to meditate. Paying attention to nothing but one's breath is immensely relaxing. I always have a notebook and pen at hand so I can record observations or jot down stray but interesting thoughts. Sometimes I sketch my surroundings. I don't knit in public but occasionally I'll lug a crocheting project with me. And on occasion, like KellyAnn, I just sits.
Wonderful ideas! Oh, I always find things to do when waiting, too. Reading is fine with me, but usually I cannot keep my mouth shut and start asking people things, so we are all soon in a great conversation! That gives me an idea for another post - that guy in the subway... chuckle...
Lettuce -- I do some of my best thinking while listening to music.
Pauline -- I have breathed through many a dental procedure. And here I thought my need to breathe would end with childbirth...
Angela -- Can't wait to hear about the guy in the subway.
I gotta lot i could say here...instead I'll just say...
Hey Barb!
This reminds me of Thich Nhat Hahn's writings about "bells of mindfulness:"
"In my tradition, we use the temple bells to remind us to come back to the the present moment. Every time we hear the bell, we stop talking, stop our thinking, and return to ourselves, breathing in and out...But you can use any sound to remind you to pause, breathe in and out, and enjoy the present moment. The buzzer that goes off when you forget to fasten the seat belt in your car...While we are driving, we can see the red light as a bell of mindfulness; it becomes a friend, helping us to remember that it is only in the present moment that we can live our lives...Even non-sounds, such as the rays of sunlight coming in through the window, are bells of mindfulness..."
Bulletholes -- Hey, Steve!
Anon -- That is one of the passages I have remembered and practiced from "Peace Is Every Step," the first book our group read.
Post a Comment
<< Home