It would seem that the majority of our society has forgotten how to be patient. A little patience can go a very long way. Unfortunately we continue to evolve into a high-blood-pressure-pill-needing species that knows only one language. Hurry up!

     Why? Why "hurry up?" What are we going to miss this time? Why are most car accidents caused? (Okay ....well...aside from the people who need to stop off for a few at the local bar or pub....on the way home from their stressful day att work).

     And think about that. Why do we do that? All day we've been pushed to crunching numbers, being "efficient" and making money by beating the deadline that usually has people hurrying in the last few hours to make it "just right." That's when the mistakes usually get made, screwing up hours, days, and sometimes months worth of work. That last minute hurrying could set us back to where now we not only have to hurry, we have to turn on our turbo-hurrying habits. The solution though is a chemical substance we now feel we need because, of the day's stresses.

     When I was a kid, I had this cat. I named him "spunky." Remember "little john" in the Robin Hood story? Yeah, he wasn't little. Well, spunky wasn't spunky either, but I got a kick out of calling him that. Well, one day he was curled up on the front lawn, minding his own business and out of our hay-barn flew a Barn Swallow. This Barn swallow was swift and fast and decided that the lazy ole cat needed to be teased a bit. The bird started swooping down and coming within a meter of the cat. Spunky nonchalantly sat up, and I think I could hear him saying, "look man, I just want to sleep. Go show off your speed to somebody else." After about 10 minutes, Spunky stared up at the bird and as the bird dove at it's normal lightning fast speed, Spunky lunged at a speed of lightning times ten and one paw scooped the bird out of the air and to his mouth. One crunch and he set the bird on the ground, curling back up into a peaceful sleeping ball beside the would be speed-demon that was now very idle.

     Have you ever been at a stop light, three cars back from the person stopped at the line, and have the moron behind you start laying on his horn a half a second after the light turns? Yeah, that'll speed things up.

     I was in Naples, Florida one time, pulling out of a parking lot and a lady pulled up behind me. I needed to take a right hand turn but in that turn cross all three lanes. Apparently, she just needed to turn into the closest lane. She started laying on her horn. The traffic was such that I would be putting my family and myself in serious danger of I I took a chance and tried to make it. So I waited. She continued beeping. I used a rearward gesture that I'm sure didn't exactly make her day. (heck, maybe it did).

     Isn't it a sad state of affairs when there is even such a term as "road rage."

     In deer season, in Vermont, I'd go out, get a deer, and be done with season, enjoying the healthy wild meat while my brothers and friends would be complaining that, "there aren't any deer this year." I'd say, "how patient are you being?"

     "Raymond, patience doesn't have anything to do with it. Patience isn't going to help when there aren't any deer."

     Already having satisfied my limit for the year, I'd go out hunting with a movie camera. The videos I'd show them the next night after they returned from another unsuccessful day would blow there mind. I'd have deer walking 10 meters away, sometimes less......patience.

     New clerk at the checkout counter. Customer starts hollering at her. "Come on here lady I've got things to do. I can't be standing here all day because your f...ing prices aren't ringing up."

    What the heck is that? Is this guy getting ready to lift off on the latest shuttle mission? He's probably in a hurry to get to the liquor store that closes in five minutes. Slow down man! Relax. Take a deep breath. Poor lady probably took the job because it's the only place she could find work, is a single mother of three, collection agencies threatening to take her personal belongings, a fourth of her wages are being garnished, no health insurance, and some would-be tough guy is shouting like his life is going to fall apart if he's five minutes later because a wrinkled bar-code wouldn't scan. Give the girl a break......patience.

     Ten months ago, I was laid off due to lack of work, from a woodworking company in Naples, Florida. I started sending out ten resumes a week and have been doing so ever since. Applying to any jobs I could find. Family and friends were worrying and getting nervous.

     "What are you going to do?"

     "The same thing I've been doing. Patience will pay off."

     "Either you have a lot of faith, or you're freaking crazy."

     "Truth be known, it's a little of both."

     They shake their heads, walking away.

     Yesterday I got a phone-call. I start work tomorrow morning for a very high end woodworking company in Longmont Colorado. Ten months without work can really cause stress in areas like food, clothing, and shelter. On top of this, a European door and window manufacturer may be calling me soon as well. ......patience.

     If a child comes up to me and tugs at my shirt, coat, or jeans pocket, desperately wanting my attention, I stop, squat down, and say something like, "Hey buddy (or young lady) what's going on?" That little bit of time, (maybe a whopping 20 seconds) will go a long way to making that child's day. Brushing them off can spoil their mood, and as we all know, once a child's mood goes negative....turning it around isn't so easy.

     Lately, I've come to this same conclusion with my writing. Do what I can, make it read it's best, and move on to something else. Keep sending out the query letters, and sooner or later somebody will take an hour or two, read the first 20 chapters and hopefully call or write, that they want to work with me. It will happen. I just have to keep telling myself.....Patience.