Sometimes it’s very, very, very hard to wait
Especially when the waiting’s for something very nice
Sometimes it’s very, very, very hard to wait.
–Mr. Fred Rogers
In his inimitable, folksy way, Mr. Rogers acknowledges a simple truth: We must sometimes wait patiently for the things that matter most to us.
Writing for publication is often a waiting game, at once exhilarating and anxiety-producing. As writers, we must learn to wait:
– For inspiration, divine or desperate
– For validation, from loved ones and, more often, complete strangers
– For compensation, in whatever form we’re willing to accept
– For connections, with others willing to wait with us or wait for us.
From an outsider’s perspective, this waiting may sometimes look like procrastination or lack of progress. But as with the chrysalis that eventually becomes a butterfly, much of the waiting that we do involves internal transformations not immediately visible to the naked eye.
Witness us sitting motionless at our computer, staring into space at Starbucks, or drifting out of a conversation and into a daydream…chances are good that in that moment, an idea’s taking shape, a concept’s maturing, and our self-confidence is growing. We’re waiting, but we’re not idling.
I believe that all this waiting is worth it –- that I’m waiting (and working) for something very nice. So this journal will record my writing experiences: the wait, the worries, the work, the rewards, and the wonder of it all.
Please stop here now and again to say hello. And if you’d like, please tell me: what are YOU waiting for?
Melodye Shore
Waiting isn’t as difficult when you’re in the company of friends 🙂
So true! And so much more fun! =:)
Wow. This resonates with me big time right now – not just because I’m waiting on word from publishers, but also because I’m waiting on a few other writing-related things, and I know I’ve got family and friends who are thinking, “hmmmm?” The hope is that, sometime soon, I’ll be able to say, “see? This is what I was waiting for. Isn’t it great?”
My favorite thought on life is “the choices we make dictate the life we lead.” Choosing to wait and meditate and comtemplate allows us to see the other variables in life where we have the opportunity to participate, grow and ultimately “make a difference.” This waiting period much be ACTIVE……
Waiting
Hi Melodye,
I have enjoyed reading your journal so very much.
All of us are waiting for something-for grandchildren once our kids are in a committed relationship, for a pay raise, for “Mr. or Ms. Right” to come into our lives, for a family member or a friend’s health to improve, for a vacation to take place, for a new home, for retirement, etc.
My mother used to say “patience is a virtue” and she was right.
What I’m waiting for…
I’m waiting for me and Glynda to sell our house. We are financially strapped right now as we play that uncomfortable waiting game. We’re working on it as much as we can, but we both work fulltime and teach overloads on top of that, so there’s a limit on how much we can actually accomplish. But we are seeing that faint light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, by the end of February, we will have that beautiful “sold” sign out front and that lack of second mortgage bill in our mailbox!
Sherry
Re: What I’m waiting for…
Hi there, DragonWriter! I’m sending you good wishes, in hopes you won’t have to wait long to sell that house. One “small” obstacle on the road to your dreams!
Come back soon to give me an update, OK?
Tick tock. Tick tock.
The wait is so much fun. And fright. It’s the buildup toward the climax that makes life’s joys so great. What would we be if we never had to wait? What would we enjoy if we didn’t have to work at it? It’s sort of humorous to think that the result wouldn’t be as good without the wait. Now that I think about it, even when things don’t turn out how I wanted after waiting so long, it doesn’t end up so bad. But that publishing deal, mortgage, baby, vacation, or conclusion of a book. Truly priceless.
Re: Tick tock. Tick tock.
Good point about the importance of the waiting process and what it teaches us. When the outcome is different that what I expected, I try to think about whether I was perhaps waiting for the wrong thing — or whether I was standing in the wrong line.
I’m hoping our wait time for good things is short; meantime, I’m glad we’re in line together.