Time runs fast for those who hurry and slow for those who wait. Indeed. It always seems there is that "challenge of time" for every state a situation brings. Oftentimes, it pays to take on that time defiance to learn its value. And sometimes it is in an everyday and usual event, that we don't even usually care for, that we get to realize something valuable to learn and something great to understand.
And that was the intro but so much for that.
It was late afternoon. I was in a hurry. It was a race with time. I had to accomplish something important. “I've been in this moment many times before and in the end, I did it”, I thought then. Although, still some of them were completed later than expected. But still, I was positive and hopeful. I went to the office earlier that day just so I could go out early in the afternoon. I needed to reproduce multiple copies of a flyer. We needed them early morning the next day. But having important things to finish at work, I ended up taking an extra hour in the office. I went out an hour late than planned. And I still have to get the additional payment from a friend for it. I had no choice at that time, I didn't have enough money either to pay for it all. Nevertheless, I took the challenge as I would always do.
Unfortunately, it happened on the time of the day when traffic started to rule on the streets. Late afternoon to early evening traffic and I totally hate it. The sluggish scene of vehicles, blowing horns each and every time just made it even worst. And much more, it seems we're getting all the stops at every traffic light intersection. Being caught in traffic while in a hurry really drains my patience, most of the times. Patience test, that was exactly what I should call it.
But that was traffic. It was expected but I hate it.
I finally arrived at my friend's workplace with a substantial amount of time already gone. Time gone, forever. She gave me the additional payment and asked for the printed flyers to be risographed. She wanted to take a look at it but I said it's in my flask drive. “It needs to be printed”, she said, “since that's what will be used for the reproduction”. I didn't know that, it’s actually my first time and I wasn't curious enough to know about it. So she asked for it and said she'd have it printed. She went back to her desk, several floors above, to have it printed and told me to wait at the lobby.
Unluckily, she sent me an sms that her computer hung up. She waited until she had no choice but to restart it. How unfavorable things could be when you’re in a hurry. I had no choice but to wait. While waiting at the lobby, I found some magazines. They looked interesting to read. I took one and read. The articles were about leadership and I began to read while waiting. It had really nice leadership articles and testimonies of self-transformation into becoming able to lead and talk before a crowd. For a while, I enjoyed reading and was momentarily relieved with all the annoyance I had with the traffic. But I still was aware with time and I would look at my watch each and every time. I still had another appointment at 7pm. Time checked, only more than an hour left. I still have to travel to downtown to look for a copy center. More than a double-digit minutes later, she came back and gave me the printed copy. I thanked her and left.
That was a stopover. It was unexpected yet needed.
In a Jeep ride, I found myself annoyed again. As the dark of the night slowly crowds the place, so as the lights of the vehicles trapped in the heavy traffic becomes evident in the streets. The silent of the night, I could never find in a heart of the big city with the horns blowing. I just consoled myself. Though I was becoming all the more impatient, with all the lags I had. I needed to think of something else to relieved myself from all these anxiousness, I said to myself.
After almost an hour, I arrived at the downtown. As soon as I got off the Jeep, I looked for a copy center nearby. I was really in a hurry. I found a copy center but the operators said they’re already closing. I went to the adjacent center, and lucky, they’re still open but there were a couple of people who are already in a line, four of them. They were students of a nearby universities whose books and handouts are to be photocopied. I was looking at my watch and it was around 10 minutes before 7pm. I’m sure gonna be late with my practice if I’d wait here. I was calculating things out. Looking at the people on the line with the handouts and books they’re bringing, I thought this is gonna be dragging. I was weighing things over if I’d wait or just leave and go to my practice. I am sure gonna be late since I’d still have to travel. I was thinking things out, if I won’t have the flyers reproduced at that time, we won’t be able to distribute it very early morning the next day. I left the copy center and decided to just go to practice but after walking a few meters, I settled for going back and wait until I am done with the flyers. So I went back and waited until I was served.
And that was two diverging roads. Most of the times, it will come into our life. And then we need to make a stand.
“And finally, I am done with the flyers”, I sighed. I walked as fast as I could to look for a ride and be able to at least arrive while the practice isn’t over. I looked for a Jeep andl I was able to hop in. 30 minutes was my best estimate considering the traffic at the downtown area. I was the more eager to arrive at the meeting place.
Minutes later, few more meters and I’m almost there. I can now see my destination. But we’re once again caught up with traffic, moderate traffic. In the opposite lane, one can notice that the traffic was really light. How I wish the we had the same traffic flow in our direction.
Then a vehicle in siren was coming from the opposite lane, fast and in real hurry. An ambulance just passed us, in the opposite lane, while we are waiting for the go. I wasn’t in a bit surprised, maybe because it seems normal in that road where ambulances often pass. Not a minute later, another one passed us in same hurry. And I was getting anxious since we are still not moving in our direction and I’m almost there. I am excited to get out of the Jeep and be free from all the traffic I had that night, I was all the more in a hurry that time. When a third ambulance passed us, a minute later, I was struck and left thinking of the moment and something I realized. Sometimes it’s okay to not be in a hurry all the time and do things slowly, I thought. Take life slowly and surely. Being in a hurry might sometimes mean it’s almost over.
I arrived at our practice place an hour late but how lucky I am that the practice didn’t start yet. Later that night I was informed that they were cancelling the distribution of the flyers. Money and time seems wasted nevertheless some lessons were learned along the way.
Don't hurry. Sometimes, it’s better be a patient.
