Dictionary.com defines the word “impatience” as; noun
1 lack of patience.
2. eager desire for relief or change; restlessness.
3. intolerance of anything that thwarts, delays, or hinders.

I looked for a pic of myself in that definition. To my total surprise and amazement, I did not find one. I’m probably the most impatient person on the planet. Being stuck in traffic is like being thrown into prison for life without parole. I feel like I’m being smothered waiting…waiting and waiting.

There was a lady on another blog that I read yesterday who talked about frustration levels. Her husband was the one she focused on for getting frustrated so easily with people. It is something perfectly understandable to me. It got me to thinking about what people have always said was a big negative about me; lack of patience. It’s something I just accept about myself. I have tried to change. But, I have had very limited success in changing my patience level (or lack thereof). So, I just accept who I am. I’ll rant and rave in traffic. Raise hell in line at the bank…which reminds me. My top three things that will drive my impatience level to warp factor 8 are:

1. Waiting on my car to be serviced. I’ll ask, “How long will it take to replace the alternator and install a new one?’ I ask knowing I won’t get an honest answer. “Oh, I’d say…an hour, hour and a half.” Now, the service manager will say this knowing full damn well he’s flat out lying. I know it’s going to take longer than 90 minutes. I’m not stupid. I say, “Seriously, how long will it take, because I plan on waiting on my car. If it’s not ready in that hour or hour and half, I want my car back. Alternator or no alternator.” Then, he’ll tell me the truth, they have five bays and all are filled at the moment. It probably will take closer to three, maybe four hours, he will say.

Bye.

2. Waiting at the doctor’s office. Ok, this is a very close #2 to me. There isn’t much that is more frustrating than sitting at your doctor’s office reading a magazine that is about two years old. Why is it so difficult to keep up your subscriptions? You go for your 9:15AM appointment and two hours later, they take you in the back to a room. There you possibly wait another hour or even two hours. Physician’s staff overbook on purpose and do it for a reason. In case people cancel, they still have enough to fill whatever quota they have for that hour. But, it seems whenever I go for an appointment, everybody and his uncle decides to show up! Just my imagination, I’m sure. But, I can never seem to go to a doctor’s office when there are only a few people. Several times, I have gotten there when patients were waiting for other patients to leave a chair so they could sit down. Sure, I could change doctors. And I have changed. But, it’s always the same, at least in my neck of the woods.

3. Waiting at the bank. Living in the south, things here are much more laid back than they are in, say, New York, Chicago or in LA (west coast). So, it’s nothing unusual to go to the drive-up at the bank and see the teller squawking to Aunt Mary Sue about her bursitis. Never mind there are people trying to carry out a transaction, waiting patiently.

Well, not all of them are waiting patiently. I am about ready to go into defcon 2 sitting in my car. I have actually gotten out of my car, walked up to the teller’s window at the drive-up after waiting for the teller and whoever, to finish up their conversation. I usually only ask one question, “Excuse me, what is your name?” That usually ends the conversation and my fellow “bank transactions in waiting” invariably blink their car lights in a respectful salute.

Waiting; I hate it. Impatient? Yep, that’s me.