Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Enduring Waiting Without Anger



Well, I am guessing the evil spirits of Halloween or the good spirits of All Saints Day have worked their magic as I am almost back to normal today.  Just the rare achy night and not being able to run are my worst problems!  Still cannot see my inside ankle bone, but swelling is only a 10th of what it was.

I was totally fascinated by the gradual healing which I monitored daily.  I could not push it faster whether I rested more or exercised more.  Yet, every day, probably because I no longer work and can stay at home and have few distractions, I noticed a measurable improvement.  This slow healing reminded me of so many things in life that move forward at a snail's pace.  (Actually these last two days I have been able to noticed a faster improvement if I took two aspirin in the late afternoon and then put my foot under a heating pad...this blood rush did make things better more noticeably.)

  • The slow emergence and growth of a seed into a plant.  You can check it each day and see the growth, but there is nothing dramatic or surprising in its changes, unless some rodent eats it to the ground.
  • Losing weight requires endless patience and if you give up just one day you will not see measurable loss.
  • Babies change so slowly if you are able to study and watch them each day.  They look toward your sound, than at your face and finally are able over time to focus on your eyes and then respond to your smile.
  • Good poetry must be read slowly, then re-read (out loud for me) and then over time it grows on you and thickens with meaning.
  • Love, real love that goes beyond sex and eye candy, takes such a long time.  The melding of good and bad habits and trust happens over days, weeks, months and becomes a strong if not beautiful foundation only over decades after all of life's tests and challenges have been met.
  • Developing an expertise in something comes only with time.  Talent you may be born with, but honing that into an expert skill requires time.  Malcolm Gladwell ( a somewhat controversial author) in his book "Outliers" writes about how long it takes to really become an expert. "Gladwell explains that reaching the 10,000-Hour Rule, which he considers the key to success in any field, is simply a matter of practicing a specific task that can be accomplished with 20 hours of work a week for 10 years. He also notes that he himself took exactly 10 years to meet the 10,000-Hour Rule, during his brief tenure at The American Spectator and his more recent job at The Washington Post."

I do not think it will take me 20 hours of walking for 10 years to be an expert at walking, because clearly I never had the talent to begin with!  My point is that everything worthwhile seems to take a lot of time and therefore we all better learn patience.






13 comments:

  1. So I'll become a patient person if I give it enough time? Actually, you have made some astute observations here that fit perfectly with your bog title.

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  2. I hate practice. Just one of many things I hate. Have to do them all though. Still unsure on when the time arrives that one is better due to the practice. Especially when it comes to writing.

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  3. I am in the middle of that process right now. Slow slow healing and recovery from surgery! Seems like it is taking forever..but I feel and see some improvements! Sigh!
    Patience is not one of my virtues!!
    Love your observations....it helped me so much to read them. Thanks
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  4. I do not recall reading that particular book but remember reading something about the 10,000 hours pertaining to the Beatles and Bill Gates. There were others but I remember those two. Something I read referred to the time expression you mention.

    You are so wise to take the proper time to heal. I honestly do not know if I could have been that patient.

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  5. Yes, it takes time to learn. Took me many years. Now at 70 plus I am finally enjoying the ride.
    So happy about your healing.
    Have a wonderful day.

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  6. Very good point at the end...about worthwhile things taking time and patience. I "try" to remember that.

    I like Malcolm Gladwell. Only read The Tipping Point, but have seen him on TV doing interviews. Hope to read his other books.

    Your post also reminded me of hearing about a man who focused on "one" pursuit/skill for five years before going on to another. For example, he mastered, relatively speaking, piano, then a foreign language,and so on. He was retired when he started doing this. It sounds like a good idea, but one that requires a lot of focus and the ability to not get distracted by other interests.

    Thanks for the thought provoking post. :)

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  7. It is the process of enduring(or patience)that makes for growth and satisfaction. Not the endpoint. Or so it has been for me. You're on to something!

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  8. Gorgeous pictures- the header bird n leaves. Glad you are getting improvement to your injury n are counting the blessings of the patience needed for it-
    Good list of gradual change observations.
    But if I've been walking over 50 years, doesn't that mean I'm an expert walker now? (n you also?)

    I think I've been patient my whole life, waiting for one thing or another, especially for my dreams to come true...

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  9. Great list, Tabor! Some things are worth waiting for, indeed. I hope you get well soon.

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  10. I felt the same way when I fractured my arm recently. I could see improvement each day but it was SLOW.

    I love the thoughts and the photo that goes with them here. I was thinking of the bumper sticker S-h-i-t happens and changing it to S-h-i-t takes time!

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  11. I remember when I started wearing out. It was rant, rave, and go see a doctor if some new catastrophe happened. Now if I wake up and can't see, I wait. LOL Maybe I can see later.

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  12. Well heck, you have me waiting...for patience. Although it actually is coming...into play as I "grow" older.
    Bye the way, love your new header picture!

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  13. Patience certainly is the key to so many things. I commiserate with you about the ankle. I'm waiting for my own sprain to heal to the point of comfort when walking. It's been 3 months and counting. Patience, patience, patience.

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.