Déjá-vu. If you’re curious about who you are, try waiting for a while.
There are nearly three hours to wile away at the dealership where my car is being serviced. I don’t mind. It’s what I do best—sitting, waiting . . .
There are six of us in the room: two are on computers, two are on phones, and one is punching keys on an iPad. My computer is on my lap as I decide what to do next. iPad guy is wagging his head back and forth in what I can only assume is a response to the bad news that he is reading. The computer people are plugged up with ear buds. Intermittently, they drag out their iPhones for a quick look and poke away at keys. The room is completely devoid of eye contact.
Good grief. Where have we all gone? Off into a world of cyberspace as far away as we can get from one another. The cyber scene in front of me prompted me to put away my toys and opt for reading a book instead, Finding My Father’s Faithby a favorite blogger, Wynne Leon. A real, live, honest-to-God book with a cover and paper pages to turn. Another talented author, artist and blogger friend, Nancy Wait, makes the most of her name as she wiles away time spent on the subway by sketching marvelous images of sleepers dozing peacefully as she whips through the dark underbelly of New York City.
I sit and cool my jets while hanging out in a room full of noncommunicative people quietly absorbed in their various versions of electronics. Years ago in my Honda waiting room before electronics hijacked the world’s attention, quite a different story played itself out. Folks hid away in their inner worlds reading newspapers or books or like me, sat quietly with eyes closed. My closed-eye peace was interrupted on one waiting-room day when a mom asked her small daughter if she’d like to watch TV. No matter that the kid was peacefully absorbed in reading her own book. Drat. So much for enjoying a moment of quiet stillness.
The TV didn’t work. Thank goodness. From nowhere, the quiet readers sprang forth to assist, while I experienced an instant sense of resentment over the soon-to-be interruption. I consoled myself with the idea that this sweet little girl would probably enjoy something quiet, soothing—but no. Instead, she opted for a loud, violent scenario in which a building suddenly morphed into a ginormous unbelievably noisy and threatening robot intent upon destroying anything in its path. So much for assumptions. So much for reverie. So much for my wishes and my desires. Did anyone ask how I felt about this sudden shift in the disturbance of my reality? No. Did they care? No. Did I? Definitely!
As I sit in today’s Hyundai waiting room and wonder why I am writing this blog the answer creeps into awareness. It reminds me that life is like a waiting room—full of people who are strangers to us, each lost within his/her own head, each separated from one another by virtue of what goes on in the world of personal thought. It is easy to feel helpless in the face of situations that we cannot control, and frustrated by the decisions made by others without our permission—decisions that have a personal impact upon us. So often we are at the mercy of those around us in a desired world just beyond our reach.
My personal waiting room is a wonderful place to see an infinite variety of souls and scenarios—some to my liking, some not. What a wonderful place to just sit and observe the contents of my world reflected back to me inside of my head. What a perfect opportunity to look into the crumpled fragments of my own inner workings and take care of the pieces that need a bit of smoothing out.
Thank goodness for the kindhearted souls among us who rush in to be helpful—even if their help is not necessarily needed, wanted or welcomed by all. They provide me with a rich opportunity to look at attitudes and feelings that spring forth as a result of their good intentions. I may not be able to control the acts of others, but I can control my attitude. I can decide whether I would prefer to react in anger or to respond with love and forgiveness. I can choose acceptance and peace of mind, or I can choose judgment and resentment.
Who am I? I am who I choose to be.
Déjá-vu indeed. I’ve been in this waiting room for a very long time, and I think that it might be a very long time before I get back into my car and drive off into the sunset. I choose to be ready. While I wait, I want to do everything I can to graduate to the place where waiting rooms are nonexistent, and nothing exists but the unspeakably beautiful glory of what awaits us on the other side of the veil. Now that’s something worth waiting for!
As a final note, I’m happy to proclaim that this blog was started in the waiting room yesterday, finished in the Lazygirl today, and escaped the risk of being lost in the dumpster tomorrow (here). There’s hope for me yet. There’s hope for everything, friends. Keep the faith—and add your light to the vision of a waiting room filled with love, peace, joy, truth, beauty. Don’t forget to factor in the eye contact that allows us to truly see and appreciate another—and behold the best in all.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful post, Julia! Yes, definitely keep the faith, and eye contact, how divine. 🙏
Thank you for reading, Art. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important, so yes, I’ll be doing my best to maintain eye contact! And remember the truth of who we all are.
It’s my pleasure, Julia. I agree, it can be very easy to get lost in the Maya soup sometimes; but the more that we center in the Truth of our Being, the easier we see clearly again.
The “edge” between can sometimes seem so thin.
Oh, how right you are, Art. It requires vigilance to stay our of the the Maya soup. It’s full of pits! 🙂
🙂
Dear Julia, Thanks for the mention! 🥰
You know, right, that ‘to wait’ is an active verb meaning “to be in constant readiness.” 😉🤭
You’re most welcome! Your response brings to mind the reminder to “Wait upon the Lord.” I wait, and I wait, and I wait until that glorious day . . . !” Meanwhile, I’ll just have to satisfy myself by seeking the Christ consciousness within myself—and all others!
Such an insightful post. Being able to live in my own mind and observe all that is around me is such a rare treat when one is caught up with the busyness of daily life. Sadly, as you say the advent of electronic devices and TVs into physical waiting rooms has taken away the chance of a conversation with someone new or even acknowledge another human being unless it is to fix a broken TV! Watching people hunched over their laptops and phones doesn’t quite provide the same interest as without. Coffee shops use to such a joy to sit in and watch the passing parade. I guess times have changed but not people. We still thrive on kindness and interaction.
I watched eight young cousins sit at a round table at their grandma’s 80th birthday party—each hunched over a phone, unaware of the presence of others. It made my heart ache. A friend insists that visitors of all ages deposit their phones in a basket on a table in her entry way before entering the next room. Good for her! We can all learn a lesson from this wise friend. Thank you for reading, and for taking the time to comment. If we met in person, it would be with a hug, not a hunch!
Hugs are good Julia!
I love this analogy of the waiting room, Julia! And all the light that you add to waiting rooms – in reality and in our heads as we hear your voice!
Your last two sentences really got me, “add your light to the vision of a waiting room filled with love, peace, joy, truth, beauty. Don’t forget to factor in the eye contact that allows us to truly see and appreciate another—and behold the best in all.”
Yes, yes, yes! And thank you for the kind shout out about my book and for reading it! Sending my light and love to you!
You are most welcome, Wynne, and thank YOU for reading and commenting on Voices. I always, always enjoy your thoughts and insight about whatever the topic. I am really enjoying your book, and am amazed by the depth and adventures of your life experience. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself so openly. What a blessing you are to others! 🙂
You have me in tears, Julia! So grateful for you! <3 <3 <3
Your next to last paragraph is absolutely beautiful. Thank you
This makes me smile. I identify with your observations and feelings Julia. I always sit and and wish to be at home in my own familiar surroundings. Lack of control is what I deal with…as do we all, I suppose.
Ah yes—lack of control. I guess the only thing I can control is my attitude about lack of control, but it certainly isn’t easy. Thank you for your comment and for reading.
Wonderful post. Thanks a lot
Thank you for reading and commenting. I always enjoy your posts!
Dear Julia, I always enjoy your musings. Thanks for writing!
And thank you for reading and commenting Nancy! I always appreciate your loving support!
Having just seemingly stumbled upon your blog tonight yet reminds me, that yes in fact there is no such thing as a happenstance nor such a coincidence. Your words have been the best dessert these now tired eyes have had for nourishment in oh so very very long!! I feel more pleasantly “full, more love and much more hopeful than before I took in your read in my own “waiting room with a view”. namaste and SHALOM Barb “Babs” Peterson
Yours is a very inspiring place to quietly and periodically reside. My eyes have been oh so nourished to the brim this lovely late evening hour, as I am forever reminded that there is no such thing as neither a mere happenstance nor a coincidence within both this mystical universe and globe. I feel blessed to have found you Julia as I sit perched in my very own room with a ever shrinking worldwide view…namaste and SHALOM. Barb “Babs” Peterson (new address chelsey3577@gmail.com)
Thank you for your very kind words, and for reading Voices, Babs. One of the things that I love about blogging is finding kindred spirits and like-minded souls along the way. Thank you for being one of them! Like you, I perch in my comfy Lazygirl and observe from afar as the world we once knew fades from view. As I do, I envision a beautiful new world that awaits, and look forward to meeting us all in person when it finally becomes a reality. Till then, keep seeing the light!