Again, With the Patience

It’s One Step at a Time

Yesterday, in answer to Prompt #50 from Dancing Elephant Press, I mused about how thankful I was for patience. I haven’t always been patient with myself, but I try. Over time, if I were to be patient, it would be mostly towards other people. I’d make allowances for them, and others around me would berate me for being patient. Evidently, it was a two-edged sword.

But, since I wrote that article and really thought about patience, it continued to be on my mind throughout the day.

So, wouldn’t you know, the one thing to really try my patience happened last night. It was getting to be late, but my neighbor does not care for such niceties as calling earlier in the evening. Perhaps because, in the past, I refused to even pick up the phone when she called, she thought I was busy. She was right about that because I write all day long.

From the minute I get up to when I run out of gas or my feet start being uncomfortable. You’d think I was a long-distance runner, the way my feet hurt. Anyway, they do, and I’ve been careful lately to walk away from my desk and put them up during the day.

But now, because of the writing prompt, I was thinking about patience.

I exercised it yesterday evening. I let the phone ring twice, even though it was right next to me. Because of the caller ID, I knew who was on the phone. I had been waiting for my husband to call me. He was running late at work. I was expecting his call. It was already 7 pm. He actually did not get home until 9 pm, he was just super busy.

As I listened to the phone ringing, I had an internal debate going on. Do I answer it and be prepared for a lot of complaining from my neighbor, or do I just let it ring?

I knew that if I let the phone ring, it would ring eight times before the thing went to voice mail. The problem with my neighbor is that she generally will call right back again and let it ring another eight times. During that time, my level of impatience and irritation generally starts climbing.

I think of how silly I am being. Just answer the phone. I think of how petty I’m being. Just answer the phone. I think of how uncharitable I’m being. Just answer the phone. I’m thinking of what a nasty person I’m being. Just answer the phone. I think of how I allow myself to get as angry as I do when I listen to her complaints about everything: the weather, crime in the area, how many people have been robbed at gunpoint, how many people in our area who have been mugged, how many people are misbehaving, how life just isn’t fair.

That, in itself, is an exercise in patience.

So, I answered the phone on the second ring. I was polite and friendly. I told her I did not have the neighbor’s telephone numbers, though at one time I did, but I really can’t find them now. Thank goodness for computer glitches that I didn’t have to lie. She doubted what I was saying, accusing me of having had them before. I had to explain to her again that I did not have what she wanted.

I told her the story of how I’ve been looking for my Kindle for weeks now. I tried to turn the discussion into the interesting laws of manifestation and how I thought that might work to find my Kindle. Talking about the Kindle was a ploy to get her to stop worrying about not having the neighbor’s phone numbers.

I suggested that she write notes to the neighbors she wants telephone numbers from and put them in their mailboxes because she doesn’t want to waste the money on a postage stamp. I told her I could not go down our stairs and go up their stairs to make the request for her because I can hardly walk myself anymore. I already discussed the matter with them, and they do NOT want me to give her their phone numbers.

If there was a fire or an earthquake, I could get down the stairs, but I didn’t want to say that. It just wouldn’t be a graceful move, nor would it be fast.

Nothing would cheer her up. Nothing would deflect her mind from the idea that the world is a sorry place to live in.

Finally, I said, “I have to go. Bye.” And I hung up. I know from past experience that I can say goodbye ten different times with her before I can finally get off the phone.

Patience.

I exercised it last night. I will exercise it again today because if I know anything, there will be a follow-up call from her later on today.

I am thankful for patience and realize I will always be striving toward complete patience with myself and others.

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Here’s the article I wrote yesterday about being thankful for patience. The article that started this whole thing off.