Waiting Room Survival

I found myself at the Doctor's rooms this week with a throat infection I just could not shake with natural remedies. More than a week of lemon-ginger tea brews, homeopathic drops, salt water gargling was more than I could stand, so time to get the antibiotics. While in the waiting room, I always enjoy observing what the other patients do. It's one of those elevator-type environments where the wait is too short to initiate some sort of interaction and we all seem to have this almost embarrassment of being ill, so we convey a courteous oblivion to everyone else in the room. There is no talking, some flicking through of the available magazines but most people these days, just look down at their phones as a convenient way to not make eye-contact with anyone else in the room. It's almost a relief when there is a boisterous child in the room to absorb all the attention.
I'm sure there are psychologists who have studied this phenomenon and can explain exactly why it is that we behave like this, I just find it interesting to watch.

What other waiting rooms in life have the same effect? I'm not referring to physical rooms but rather a period in your life when you are waiting for something to happen. Your plans are progressing but there is about to be a major change and you find yourself waiting for it. You find yourself in that room, keeping your head down, just keeping busy while waiting for your name to be called to be allowed to move into that next room.

I have previously written about "Losing the Now", and whether I am consciously aware of the waiting room environment or whether I am able to escape and feel 'free', I have really tried to make the most of every day. I can't say I am always successful, but I am at least aware of what I should be doing.
Reading the news, there are so many people who don't get to have a tomorrow. What if their last day was just a waiting room experience? They were waiting for better things and hoping for a better life but lost so much by their waiting-room behaviour.

Celebrate every new day as if was the day you have been waiting for. Connect with the people around you. They too might be in a 'waiting-room' and a friendly gesture might just ease their tension as well as provide a mechanism to change your focus. Don't keep your head down with your eyes trapped on your phone.

Escape the waiting-room and celebrate your now!