Character Defect: Impatience
I am not a patient man.
Well, at least I don’t think I am. I have friends who tell me differently, but I think they underestimate how cool I can keep my outer facade. I’m the kind of guy who stands in front of the microwave saying, “c’mon, c’mon, I don’t have all day!”
I think part of that issue is a result of what I do for a living. I’m always working on three things at once, if not more. I always have a line of people waiting to ask me a question or to ask me to do something for them. Even when I get home, I’m always providing computer support for someone, often my mother via phone to Chicago. Usually, I’m walking her through something while I eat dinner, or make it. And, of course, there’s the endless list of things to do, of things I’m responsible for and people I’m responsible to. Now, imagine when things aren’t going well…
But, none of that is a problem, really. I mean, I’m kind of used to it. That sort of pressure-cooker is where I live. In fact, I feel better since things have gotten busier for me at work. Except for one thing… I was talking to one of the bosses a couple of days ago about a problem with a laptop. He was telling me what he wanted, or how I should proceed, and I interrupted him at least twice to try and tell him I got it and get out to get it done.
First, that’s just plain rude of me, and I hate that. I hate being rude, especially unintentionally. It’s one thing to snub someone on purpose to send them a message, but, there’s nothing I hate worse about myself than being accidentally, carelessly rude.
Second, not a bright idea to interrupt a guy who can fire me on a whim, you know?
Here’s the deal on this, though. I was told for years that I interrupted someone, but, once I timed it and I actually waited over a minute for a response to a question I asked in the middle of a conversation. That’s a full sixty seconds, folks. Now, I’ll grant that maybe I was expecting too much, but, well, I think fast. It’s something that both comes naturally to me and that I’m required to do by my work. Fast thinking and fast decisions. So, I do try to wait and not steamroller over people, but… But, I’m impatient. I’ve got stuff to do! I only have so many hours of life on this planet and I have a lot to get done, so, I at least need to know that someone has heard me and needs more time to think. Heck, we can even come back to it later, days later. But, rest assured, I will bring it up again. Delay as an avoidance tactic doesn’t work well with me. I am tenacious.
But, I hate being percieved as rude, or short tempered, or, even, impatient. So, I’m working on it. As I’ve told people before, I have to know about a problem before I can fix it. At least this time, I see it for myself. Hopefully, I’m seeing it in the correct perspective this time around and giving it the attention it needs. So, I hope you all will have patience with my impatience. I’m trying as slowly as I can.
Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up."
--Ogden Nash
