Patience is Overrated?

Waiting at a stoplight the other day, I glanced over at the Exxon station and saw an ad displayed there. I presume that it was for a new service to get you through the pump more quickly. In large bold letters, it said "Patience is Overrated".


What a horrible thing to see. As a Buddhist, I can't imagine something more blasphemous. Of course, the problem with our society is that patience is underrated.


Pumping gas provides a quintessential opportunity to experience the sublime value of patience. Here are some fantastic things you can do while pumping gas, instead of watching the numbers spin and thinking about how quickly you can get out of there:


- Nothing
- Meditate
- Strike up a conversation with someone you never met before
- Enjoy the weather
- Think about how much you like your car
- Think about how easy it is to buy gas and pump it
- Think about how many hours are left in the day, and some good things you can do with them
- Consider how content you are with your worldly possessions
- Wash your windows
- Think about something that is bothering you, and make the decision to let it go