Planes, Trains, & Waiting

By Jenny Taitz, Ph.D.

Present moment waiting may sound paradoxical but it doesn’t have to be.

Reporting live from JFK:

I woke up at 3 am for a 6 am flight that was delayed until 8am.  I could perseverate on my lost sleep, fatigue, shoulder pain, etc. or I can just accept, here I am.  Initially, this is challenging, after all, it is 5 am! I take a seat and think about times I’ve spent waiting in train stations, terminals, and traffic.

Generally, while waiting, we are pulled to compulsively check our watches, double check the accuracy of the time with our phones, let our minds run. What if we just take a moment to breathe and enjoy the respite? Here we are, no where to go.

After sitting for some time, I look at pages of magazines and browse the bestsellers table in the book store.   Time seems to move when I’m not trying to force it or adding judgment (e.g., I shouldn’t have to wait).  I decide 6:30 am is as good a time as any to buy a piece of chocolate and genuinely savor each bite.  Previously, I had considered rushing and waiting to be equally nefarious.  Now, I wonder if I have to wait, why not just be where I am?