Why wait?

And now I wait. It really IS the hardest part, you know. Especially when the wait is l--o--n--g.  "Patience is a virtue," my mother always told me (in a sing-songsy voice) when I was growing up. I used to say the same words to my students when I was teaching. Now I say it to my own children. But the cliche is so passé in this day and age. I mean, who has to wait for anything anymore? Our society has become  like a stepped-on ant bed. We are the (fire) ants scattering about in a million different directions seeking immediate gratification. Need a new read? Fresh material is just a click away. Need to reach someone? Call, text, Twitter, Skype. The options are endless 24/7. Everything is at our fingertips. Except when it comes to one thing. Before I tell you what it is, let's stop for a minute.


What does "Patience is a virtue" really mean?

According to my handy old Webster's dictionary, patience means the quality of tolerating delay, provocation, annoyance without complaint or anger; and virtue is morality, goodness or uprightness; a special type of goodness.


I guess it means to be good while you wait. Well, if you want to learn how to be patient like that, then become a writer. Sometimes you have to wait for eons before you hear back from editors. And you must be good while you wait because you don't want to piss them off.


So I sit. I wait. I check my email every fifteen minutes. And I write. Such is the life of a writer.


What do you find difficult to wait for?