Pazienza

This was the single word that my Italian grandmother used when any of us kids became impatient with something. This was her way of saying, "patience is a virtue."

That's a virtue that is difficult for me to achieve. When I see something wrong and it is within my means to try to fix it, I certainly try.

Lately, my patience has been tried on various fronts. Fortunately, after several trials, I'm pleased to say that for the most part, some bad things are now rectified. Like the monopoly telephone company in our area that wouldn't fix my 93-year-old aunt's telephone when it shorted out due to rain last Saturday. Navigating that company's horrid automated answering system is a test of anyone's patience. I think they make it so difficult simply to drive people away from even registering a complaint. Excuse-after-excuse didn't wash with me. Finally, after being deliberately disconnected more times than actually getting through to a human being, the phone got fixed and my aunt can move out of our guest room back to her own home. (There was no way she could stay at home alone without a working phone.)

Or the complete nitwits on some internet sneaker forum (and other forums too) who say silly, stupid things and link to my website. I hope it makes them feel better to be so nasty. They sure prove their ignorance, and that their momma didn't bring 'em up right. I have tried to block them, as well as install a system to record every IP address from every visitor to my website linked from those forums. Next script to write and install is one that takes those IP addresses when they visit my website and automatically re-directs them to a ... (hmmm, still thinking about where; perhaps the FBI's website? Might they get a message?)

My patience was worn very thin when I saw someone fall in a store parking lot yesterday. After checking to make sure there weren't any neck or back injuries, I helped him up, but needed some more help to get him stable. No one would stop -- people literally ran past me. I finally got some more help, but it took much longer than it should have taken.

Then a challenge with my new ISP at home. We went with a new fiber optic internet service. It's fast, that's for sure. But when you register and accept the mandatory terms of service, they force you into signing up for entertainment services that you don't want. No opt-out option is available. Now I have to call them and waste more time navigating through their horrible automated answering system to have them remove those auto-added, expensive services. I also will be spending time on writing a firm and formal complaint to our state's regulatory agency and the State AG about deceptive business practices. (That's me, "rent-a-kvetch". I'm pretty good about writing formal complaints on behalf of myself and others when a company is clearly in the wrong.)

When my partner's patience is tested, he repeats a phrase from time to time which comes from his Western Pennsylvanian roots: "hooray for me, to hell with you." He says he hears people say that where he grew up, and behave that way. That tends to reflect how unfortunate it is that more people care about themselves than take a minute out to do anything for anyone else, or even consider how someone else may feel. I just can't do that. It is not how I'm wired, or how I was brought up -- nor my partner. Thank goodness we share the same values this way.

Life is short: show those you love, as well as those you don't know but can help, that you care. Act. Responsibly. With thought and consideration for others.