@AmericanAir 1171, Seat 11F
1 hour early arrival for flight … so time to wait … then flight has tire issue … so wait until it is repaired …
Which got me thinking about waiting … how much of our lives do we spend waiting? Fran Lebowitz says, “the opposite of talking isn’t listening … the opposite of talking is waiting.” Patch Adams felt that “waiting in line is a great opportunity to meet people, daydream or play,” a sentiment I echo since I’ve met delightful characters while in that flux state of existence we call “waiting.” This could also explain the fervor with which we dive into the most accessible mobile device — how lax would we be if we were not completely and utterly absorbed by something … how pitiful and pathetic for one’s attention and opinion to be unneeded and unnecessary for even a moment.
So let’s ponder this “waiting” thing … what do we know about it … how do we talk about it — good things come to those who wait … wait your turn … wait for me … wait on tables … just you wait Mister (this with the ominous tone that means you’ve clearly done something unsatisfactory, if not downright unsavory) … Waiting for Godot …
Is waiting active or passive? Depends on the end state, right? When I’m waiting for something good — my heart races joyously … I allow my mind to run across previous times … I ponder the preparations for the moments to come … while sometimes excruciating, it is delicious excruciation, soon to be relieved by arrivals.
My favored way to think about waiting will obviously be linked to my fav subject, food — this person/thing/event is not a microwave dish … it’s ok to mix the right ingredients, add a bit of heat … and just let it sit on the stove and cook. It’s a particular kind of bliss to lift the lid, gently stir … taste a tiny bit …
Yet, I’m beginning to think of waiting as belonging to a layered universe, its own “Inferno”, with anticipatory waiting at the surface with its deliciousness and delights, and a labyrinth of layers below, descending into the murky and nefarious.
And when the dark edges of waiting appear … there is a restorative choice to be made … close your eyes and take a nap … just keep your snoring to yourself.
DFW airport
TarmacThinking 