We live in an “I want it now” culture.
With evidence stretching from fast food restaurants, text messaging, or expecting to instantly get our perfect schedule during class registration, we’re a people of instant gratification. Now, if we’re honest, we can all admit we have our moments of impatience, but I think it may be time for our demand-and-run American culture to slow down a little.
For example, many European countries spend hours eating meals. They’re clearly skinnier than our hefty country. Why is that? Because life is slower over there. Eating is a social thing. Here, we start getting feisty if our Big Mac combo meal isn’t ready in 20 seconds. And when we do receive our food, many of us yank the bag out of the employee’s hand, an ungrateful look on our face as we gripe to our friends how ridiculously long it took.
I’m not just talking about food either. Another example is registration day here at Ferris. Sure, everyone wants his or her perfect schedule. Everybody wants to avoid the 8 a.m’s, the Friday classes, or whatever else might inconvenience them. Sometimes that doesn’t work out though.
I have a friend who works for the office, and really has no control over who gets in what classes. She gets there first thing in the morning around 8, before the woman who can put people in classes gets there. Angry students are already lined up, furious as to why she can’t help them. She tries to explain as students complain that they’ve been waiting “a whole 15 minutes.”
Anyone who has worked in customer service should have much more empathy for others in this area, and patience as well. Sometimes things happen. Something comes up so your ride is late, or the person trying to help you can only do so much. The point is, waiting an extra five, 10, 15, or 20 minutes isn’t going to dramatically shave the years off your life. Sure, it can be frustrating, but I think our demanding culture could definitely learn a little lesson in patience. Though it’s hard to believe sometimes, the world does not revolve around us. Shocking, isn’t it?
So next time you go in to get a burger, it’s crazy busy, and it takes a little longer than you’d hoped, try smiling, waiting your turn, and gratefully accepting your bag with a thank you. When you go to the registration office, thank the worker for doing their best and wait like everyone else. If you’re going to spend some extra time somewhere (because believe it or not, we can not have whatever we want at the snap of a finger), at least spend that time with patience and kindness. Don’t waste it on being an impatient, selfish jerk.