Anticipation Is Making Me Wait...

Alright, alright...I have just shown my age by mentioning this Carly Simon song used to hawk Heinz ketchup back in the day. Generally, there are many Carly Simon songs I really like...this was never one of them.

Reminiscent of discretion's societal death, anticipation is also on the short list of existence. Sadly, the idea of waiting for wonderful things to happen has been lost to this instant gratification society we exist in; we want it now.

Our nation is in the midst of what seems to be an insurmountable credit situation. Unlike our grandparents and some of our parents, it seems we (and I include myself in this "we") have decided the idea of saving to purchase something we really want or need is obsolete. Why wait? We have credit cards and deferred billing. There is no energized anticipation of putting money away, counting it each week, calculating the difference of what we've collected versus what is left to gain...it's all gone.

How sad is it for young people to lose the anticipation of young love? There is no subtle learning if he or she likes you, getting a friend to confirm the same, gradually learning what they do in their spare time, what are their dreams, where do they hang out for an accidental rendezvous to occur...it's all gone. FaceBook has taken the place of all this. Like the boy in your class? Just go to his FaceBook page and you'll know all about him (and maybe even some things you didn't need to.) Think the girl in Band is cute? Just IM her and tell her, hidden behind the keyboard where she can't see your face. It seems though this rite of passage is gone.

I have had friends share how their children don't want to be surprised Christmas morning and they are too tired to even try because they have no idea what to get them. So, the kiddies are taken shopping for their own Christmas gifts but they can not have them until Christmas morning. Why bother?

One of the biggest losses of this instant gratification society is the death of the library. How said is it there is a faction of folks without basic knowledge to use a reference book? Everything is Googled and instantly received. Not only do they miss out on the feel of the pages, the smell of the book, the thrill of locating the information...there isn't even a guarantee you are receiving reputable data from the web. Sad, sad, sad...

Do you miss the rapid beating of your heart when all of your anticipation finally materializes? As an avid and passionate gardener, this is one of the places I thoroughly enjoy the contemplation of what is to come. Working the soil, feeling the dirt in my hands, smelling the earth, then waiting for the fruits of these labors to arrive is pure wonder. Every day I walk the gardens waiting to see what news arrivals I am blessed with.

This also holds true in my kitchen when I cook. I look forward to being in my kitchen, smelling the food in the oven or on the stove, being asked, "How much longer 'til it's done?," enjoying the ending results. The looks on my family's faces and exuberant  appetites are definitely worth the preparation time invested.

Anticipation needs to be built back into our lives. It tests our endurance, strengthens our hearts, and brings satisfaction to our lives. As we gain patience with the process of obtaining the wondrous results we seek, we will also thoroughly enjoy the experience all the more.