It hit me on a drive home from work a few nights ago:  People really don't have to wait for much of anything these days ... and because there is virtually no waiting for anything .. when people DO have to wait .. they lose their temper and act like a child.

My son is not the most patient 3 year old. He wants everything now. Ice cream, toys, Big Red .. he can't wait. This used to be exclusive to toddlers. But now .. some adults start acting like children when they HAVE to BE PATIENT.

When I was growing up .. you had to BE PATIENT. If you wanted to see a movie or a TV show .. you had to wait for the night it was on TV. If you missed it, you had to hope it would soon be a re-run, or be released on BETA or VHS.  If you called someone, and they were not home .. you had to wait for them to GET home in order to contact them.  If you wanted to find the answer to a question that required a book or encyclopedia .. you had to "look it up" .. or drive to the library.  If you wanted to send a letter .. you had to write it .. put it in a MAIL BOX .. and wait 3 to 5 days for the person to receive it.

Now, you can reach anyone anytime on cell phones. Instant messages .. text .. e-mail.  Food is fast and on every corner.  You can find the answer to anything on the Internet in an instant.  If you missed a TV show, you can watch it online.  DVR's .. TIVO's .. you never have to miss anything ever again .. and if you do, you can find it instantly.  NO WAITING!

So .. what happens when patience is required?  When a new generation of young adults who have never had to wait for anything .. find themselves waiting .. what happens?  

There are still some things we have to be patient for .. like taking your car to the shop for repaires. That could take a while. The process of buying a home or going to the doctor .. both of those require patience.  Traffic .. sometimes you must be patient in traffic. How about waiting in line at the supermarket .. I see people lose their patience all the time .. constantly getting upset .. they begin trolling for a new line.. one they believe will be quicker .. but it always backfires.

Nobody wants to work.  They want instant success...no waiting!  When they don't get it .. they usually blame others. Some don't want to save money.  It takes time and patience to save money.  Why save, when you can spend instantly?  When some people find themselves waiting .. they lose their patience.

They are a product of a world without patience.  There is no fix.  It's the world we live in.  The solution is to accept it.  Those who have patience need to be patient with those who lack patience.