Patience, my young padawan

As we near the end of Bush’s reign as President, we can reflect on the many problems that our country has had in the past eight years that may or may not have been his fault. On Jan. 20, we will swear in a new President, Barack Obama. Many people seem to think that all the problems that this country has, such as the economy and the war will magically disappear on this day, too. Well, sorry to break it to you, but they’re not. Oh, they will eventually, but not right away. It’s going to take time, and America is going to have to use a little bit of patience.
Patience seems to be a virtue of the past. These days, people will do anything to save a little bit of time. Multi-tasking is a desired skill. People drive and yak on their cell phones at the same time. They can’t wait five minutes to take the call at a later, not to mention safer, time. But, hey, time is money, as the saying goes. In this era, things are prized for being fast. Faster Internet, faster cars, faster food. Heck, we even have instant oatmeal. We rush through meals, school, even life. Children can’t wait to grow up. When you’re fifteen you want to be sixteen. Sixteen, seventeen. Seventeen, eighteen. Eighteen, nineteen. Nineteen, twenty-one. At each age, we get a new benefit that we weren’t allowed before. But as soon as we gain the power to do one thing, we are instantaneously looking for the next. We can’t stand to wait for anything. If we don’t get instant gratification, we get antsy and upset. We rush through too much in life without taking the time to enjoy anything. So slow down and breathe, for heaven’s sake. Life’s not going anywhere. This isn’t an easy thing for me to say. I am not really a patient person. I won’t even make toast for breakfast because I hate to wait for it to toast. I am constantly being told to wait a minute, take your time and do a good job. Lately, though, it just seems like we could all use a little patience.
As we look ahead to the change in our government, just remember that some things take time, and as the turbulent whirlwind of a year falls behind us, take a moment (you can spare it) to add patience to your list of New Year’s resolutions.
By Laura Stamnes