Monday, June 16, 2008

Hurry Up and Wait!


This week's Heads or Tails theme is WAIT *or* WEIGHT. I don't want to think about my WEIGHT!

When was the last time you waited in line? Was it at a restaurant? The bank? The post office? How about the dreaded airport security line? At a department store? The doctor's office?

How much time do we spend waiting at traffic signals, or worse yet, in traffic? Wiki Answers reports that the average person spends 3 minutes and 18 seconds waiting at each red traffic light. I work close to home because I detest waiting in traffic! Houston has the fifth worst traffic problem in the US according to American Public Media Talk. Witness this:

What about waiting in line to use the facilities at an entertainment venue? Waiting for a website to load? (Well, not so much anymore with high-speed Internet, thank goodness!)

It seems we spend a lot of time waiting... waiting... waiting. Google Answers states that we spend 45 to 62 minutes waiting for something every single day! That's a whole hour of "awake" time!

I find that I am much more impatient with waiting the older I get. I think I've spent enough time waiting already. And wasting time isn't something I do well. So, next time I'm in line, instead of feeling unproductive, I'm going to try one of eHow's ten tips on how to be useful during the time I "Hurry Up and Wait!"


[Author's note: I realize there are many things in life worth waiting for. I'm just impatient with those that aren't worthy of a wait.]

Check out more Heads or Tails! And don't forget to visit our lovely hostess AT Skittles Place.

17 comments:

  1. Very cool 'take' on the theme this week ... complete with RESEARCH! I'm impressed. Now that I'm happily retired, I don't spend much time on the road ... but there are still places I end up waiting. Don't we all?

    I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't know HoTs was cancelled and that I left my link in comments at the HoTs Hub. Thanks for dropping by Small Reflections and leaving the link back here ... and for setting up the Mr. Linky so others can find us all too.
    Hugs and blessings,

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  2. I'm generally more patient with the wait as I get older. However, I have little patience for unnecessary waits - for instance if a doctor deliberately double-books his patients or when the guy in front of me forgets to take his "turn" so that I can then go.

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  3. Wow, crazy statistics, but I can believe it. I actually waited in line at the post office last weekend for 45 minutes, and I was near the front of the line. I felt *so* bad for those near the end of the line out the door. It's not like it was even a holiday. On the outside I acted calm and cool, but inside, my impatience was driving my nuts!

    Glad you set up a Mr Linky. I did one, too, but it goes to its own page - wasn't quite sure what I was doing :)

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  4. I thought I'd let you know I added a link here on my blog so others who happen by and find you (and Maggie who also put one on her blog). I hope that's okay with you.
    Hugs and blessings,

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  5. That sure is a lot of waiting! You went all out!

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  6. I came to thank you for dropping by my blog. I think there were so many of us eager to post about this weeks theme because it was too good to wait (pun totally intended)

    I enjoyed your blog post. Most of the time I don't mind waiting unless I am in a hurry or when I am waiting on hold when I am on the phone...you know when you get that recorded voice that says "Your phone call is important to us..." Grrr...lol.

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  7. I'm not a waiter but I plan on bringing the kids to six flags. There will be a wait there.

    i'm up also

    http://maggie.coffeeshopmafia.com

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  8. I hate waiting - very appropriate post.
    I didn't know how much time I spent waiting LOL.


    My Little Drummer boys
    warm regards
    Trish

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  9. Our son lives in Houston...and I just always dread going into that city to visit. Why the only time there is no traffic [by this I mean in Houston's terms of 'no traffic'] is about 2 a.m.! Anytime other than that...you have it just like the photo you shared.

    And I hate waiting in traffic too. But I hate DRIVING in H-town more! LOL

    You couldn't have picked a better subject to get me off on a tangent. rofl

    Great H o T

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  10. When you stop and consider how much waiting we actually do it boggles the mind eh! Great HOT post!

    My entry is here

    I played too :)

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  11. Great Post! I looked at the suggestions and I usually delete messages on my phone or play 20Q on my phone. It helps! Blast From the Past is at my place!

    Happy HoTs!
    Mere

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  12. I hate it when you hurry up only to wait...hate it!

    Please do not wait for any more detail in this comment...hee hee!

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  13. Im not goos at lines. I get very fed up very quickly.

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  14. I hate waiting :)

    I played along too

    Here

    Happy HoT!

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  15. I am a terrible waiter with little or not patience especially when it comes to traffic. God, it takes everything for me not to rant like a lunetic about the unneccessary reasons behind most traffic.

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  16. According to my calculator, if we live for 90 years we will have waited for 3.75 years. What a waste of time!

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  17. Im right there with you on this post baby!!
    I Hate waiting and DO find it a waste of my precious years on earth! I am actually becoming quite testy about it too. If my husband dillydallies with the remote and sits to long on Nonsense.. I yell..."Im wasting my life here.. Put the show on!"
    excellent post!

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