waiting rooms

written much earlier | just cleaning out the drafts drawer

I'm going to have a little bragging moment, so forgive me -- but there are rare occasions that my weird overpreparedness in life ever comes in handy. Typically I tote around a year's worth of activities in my bag, which has several smaller bags within it, and never even have the opportunity to benefit from the effort. Yet, waiting rooms have become my supreme arena of glory -- I have at my disposal a multitude of options to keep me busy. Sometimes, a waiting room scenario is the only time that I really have the ability to benefit from the diligence of my anti-boredom arsenal. A little delay with the procedure -- no worries -- I have three books, a magazine, a journal, my computer, my phone, mini word games that have thus far remained unopened, headphones, books on tape -- just take your time.

OFF LIMITS

Being in a waiting room also is an acceptable reason to not pay attention to anything else that typically interrupts my concentration -- pretty much any legitimate excuse to ignore my phone for a little while is good.

I do, know, however, that waiting rooms are and should be infrequent -- maybe I'm an expert from being way too overpracticed in the art form. The notion that rooms that give you a bit of calm in the swirling world of life is great but need to transfer over into everyday reality.

The other day, after a summer spent having been solely with my great kids, my beautiful family, I took a moment for myself. I snuck an hour out of life and went to a bookstore, stopped for a sushi roll, enjoyed the quiet and peace of just reading and being calm. Much better than a waiting room.