Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Patience



What is Patience ? I've noticed a pattern when I show off my new hobby, model trains (http://trains.calldei.com).
Almost universally the comment is "Wow, that must take a lot of Patience, I could never do that". At first I thought I understood, as certainly it takes a lot of *time* and *effort*. But reflecting on this, I cant understand the term "Patience".

This takes no "Patience" whatsoever. To contemplate, how can a hobby or an art or work or similar thing take "Patience" ?. More so then say Jogging, or watching TV or reading. Raising children, now THAT takes patience ! But doing something which every second is enjoyable and at the end builds something. That takes no patience. It doesn't matter how long it takes. The longer the better. I actually worry that I'll complete it and have no more to do.

Watching Television, 40 years later and you've accomplished nothing. That doesn't take patience ? but building something does ? I guess I don't understand what people are thinking. Perhaps its as ancient and almost cliché as eastern philosophy about the journey not the destination.

I look back at my life at the things which I have a problem with Patience. I consider myself *very impatient*. I cant stand sitting around at "parties" while people invoke "small talk". Give me a gun I could shoot myself. Waiting for a delayed plane. Waiting for my life and career to progress to the point I could afford a house. Driving in traffic. Waiting for a shipment of a new train part! Trying to persuade someone who doesn't agree with you. All those things take "Patience". But actually doing something ? Immeshed completely in the act of doing something that takes enough of your senses to distract and absorb the ongoing ramble of an overactive brain ? Thats not patience.

2 comments:

Chris said...

Patience with the train, for not being assembled already? Or with yourself, for not being finished building it?

Glenn said...

Patience - not required when transcendence is around.