Monday, April 11, 2011

I.....is for Instant

and also for the impatience that occurs when instant isn't instant enough.

We live in an instant society. We have become so used to things happening quickly that we have lost our ability to wait....or at least to wait without being frustrated and annoyed. This is something that sort of sneakily developed over a period of time.....common ordinary events or requests were being fulfilled faster and faster to an ever-more demanding public. Somehow our memories of having to wait .... (gasp)....DAYS..... for something has dimmed. Our patience has flown the coop.

The computer has a lot to do with it but it actually started way before then. I can remember when I was a kid and if a food item had the words "instant" on the label....my mom was all for it. Anything to save time. Remember Tang, the instant orange drink? Remember Instant Coffee? To my coffee-loving mom.....this was the greatest invention of all time. Radios started coming out with 'instant on' features and soon TV followed....no more waiting for the tubes to warm up because there were no longer any tubes.

Now we are so used to just pushing a button and within a second or two we have our result. FAX machines can send documents across the nation in a minute or so and you can email your friend on the other side of the world in seconds! Snap a picture and see it within a couple seconds. No more waiting a week or so for developing. We have taken all this instantaneous-ness for granted. We expect it everywhere. We don't want to wait for anything.

But sometimes we have to wait. Government is famous for making us wait....they are especially fond of the "we never received your request, please re-submit" excuse. Thus delaying the receipt of the information you are seeking. Grocery store lines can be frustrating, especially if you're tired and you're in a hurry. Appointments to see the doctor....sometimes I've waited more than an hour past my appointment time. Traffic is a major problem and in our instant society, I know being stuck in a traffic jam must be akin to being tied down on a fire-anthill to some people.

Do you realize that your minor children and/or grandchildren have never known anything different than an instant society? They have never really had to wait for much. I saw evidence of that when my grandson came to visit me for a few weeks one summer. He was very impatient and even had trouble waiting 3 minutes for microwave popcorn.

As you know, everything has limits and I'm seriously wondering when its going to stop. When will we have reached our limit on 'instant'.....and when we do, what will all these impatient people do then? "Wait" will have been removed from their vocabulary and an internal meltdown could be imminent. I can see where doctors will be prescribing plenty of tranquilizers sometime in the future......after you wait to get in to see him. In the meantime, make time to stop and smell the roses.....and kick impatience to the curb.

8 comments:

Jamie said...

You always amaze me with your ability to get the POINT on paper. Wonderful and so very true post. Have a great Monday. :)

Forsythia said...

I second Jamie's comment. The instant I was done reading this, I said, "Wow. So true."

Unknown said...

Patience is a Virtue!! Instantaneous offered just about everywhere and in everything, we have traded our Loving Patience in. Personally, I don't think it is a fair trade. Excellent post! :)

Karen M. Peterson said...

Could not agree more. Our impatience is going to be our doom.

fiwa said...

I was JUST thinking about this the other day in the line at the grocery store. Someone was paying with a check and you should have heard the moans and groans from people behind them in line.

And you know what's funny? When someone apologizes for making you wait for something, if you answer "no problem, I'm in no big rush." they look at you like you're from MARS! It cracks me up every time.

ILoveMyDogandMy Music said...

As I read this I too thought about waiting in line to pay for my purchases and someone trying to get their cash together to pay. People in line were so impatient for even that. The kid bagging said "nobody uses cash anymore"..You are correct when you say small children have never known anything other than an instant society.

Anonymous said...

Every era passes away, but up until now, famous sayings had a place in our society. Have you noticed that there is NO ONE anymore whose comments are so noteworthy they will go down in history? Everything is a 15 second soundbyte. Quickly forgotten and of no consequence.

Margaret Hall said...

How excellent a post on INSTANT..You betcha'~! We are a society that hurries up and waits~! Love the fellow in the pic tappin' his fingers~! Yes, I remember Tang..(don't like it now)..
We are an INSTANT society~!! Great post, Val...
See you up at J...
http://timeforabucketlist.blogspot.com/
http://imagesinthought.blogspot.com/
http://the-old-story-tree.blogspot.com/
http://bagladythoughts.blogspot.com/