Patience

Patience

Several years ago I read a story about impatience. In this story a mother experienced the worst possible occurrence during childrearing. She watched her 15 year old son get killed. I cannot imagine anything worse.

He got killed because he was impatient. He had just gotten off a train in Mansfield, Massachusetts. His mother was waiting for him on the other side of the tracks. He could have walked a few dozen yards to the tunnel under the tracks, but he didn't. Instead he tried to cross over the tracks.

He had probably done this many times and he almost made it this time. He was just climbing up onto the platform where his mother was waiting when the Acella train went by. It was going around 130 miles per hour when it hit him. He didn't stand a chance.

A couple of days ago, at a movie theater, I watched a women with several young children waiting patiently for a handicapped person to get out of his seat. The woman's body language screamed out that she was in no hurry. She was not watching the action with the wheelchair, she was focused on the children.

Those children were learning patience.

Do we teach our children patience or impatience?

I see parents teach impatience more often than not!

I see people in cars with young children. The driver is tailgating, inching forward at lights, yelling at other drivers. The driver is trying very hard to save a few seconds from his or her travel time.

I watch people cross the street against the light.

I watch people cross over the grass rather than take a few extra steps to use the walk way.

I see people jump in their cars to drive a few hundred yards.

I watch people exceed the speed limit.

I watch people speed up to get through a yellow light before it turns red!

I read and hear about people who get killed trying to beat the red!

I watch people pass in a no passing zone to get around a slow driver.

I see and hear of people who do not stop for a school bus.

Every day, often several time a day, I see people being impatient. More importantly, I see small children watching their parents be impatient.

We are teaching our children that time is so precious that it is worthwhile to risk our lives, and the lives of others, to save a few seconds or a minute. There is a 15 year old boy who, in order to save 60 seconds (maybe less) lost all the time he had.

The average male in The United States of America will live to be 84 years old. The young man had, roughly, 36,000,000 minutes left in his life. He lost all of them trying to save one!

The next time you get frustrated because someone or something is slowing you down, think about what you are teaching your children. Think about the woman who watched her 15 year old son die because he couldn't take a little extra time to be safe!

What are you teaching your children or grandchildren?