Are We There Yet? Is It Here Yet? How About Now?

“Are we there yet” – voiced by thousands upon thousands of kids (and sometimes adults) during the family trek across country, across states, even from one city to the next.
“Is it here yet?” – the anguished cry of the online consumer. lol

How about now?

God, I need patience, now! 🙂

Waiting is tough. Why though? The dread involved with knowing the inevitable, the unchangeable, that is coming? Or the unknown and having no way to prepare for it?

I like to prepare. I think in a way I am kind of a boy scout at heart. I seriously like to prepare for every possible situation. Camping, I always make a list of items I will need. It’s not that I over pack. It’s simply that I want to make sure the little things are thought of. Games to play with the kids (our treat while camping). Crafts to do to pass the time. Sweetener and milk and definitely coffee. I have my priorities! The same goes with a day at an amusement park or a museum. I pack bottles of water and a variety of snacks, anticipating the kids’ needs for the day. It helps to make things run smoothly.

But what about when I can’t prepare? When I don’t know what to expect? I felt that way this last week. I was grumpy, whiny and quiet as far as my worries were concerned. I vocalized them a bit, but not nearly the amount that was racing through my head. I didn’t know what to expect with camping over the weekend. And waiting for the weekend to arrive, it was tough.

There are other times we’ve had to wait that are rough. Waiting out the hours before going into surgery. Waiting for test results to see if you’ve earned your credentials. Waiting through traffic to get home!

When I watched the (yes, I know…again) Doctor Who episode, Heaven Sent, I could relate. The Doctor, even Sherlock, enter their “mind palace” or “mind Tardis”. Even Pendergast, from the Preston/Child books, has a form of a mind palace. For me, it works in kind of the same way, just not as cool…it’s a means of escape from reality, if only for a little bit. It helps control my anxiety, to slow my racing heart. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to do so when I’m right in the middle of a crisis or surrounded by people.