Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Waiting Isn’t Easy
Henri Nouwen’s quote about waiting is right on track with American society. American culture is very scary because it continually pressures Americans to do things. For teens, it commands that people go to college, get a job, and get married. Waiting just seems to be against what Americans should do, it almost seems evil. If people wait, they are useless and get nothing done. As Henri says, “waiting is not a popular attitude”.
He is very correct in saying that many people see waiting as a waste of time from where they are and where they want to be. But waiting is sometimes the answer. Many teens come right from high school to college, and quickly decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives. This is very successful for many people, but some people immediately go down the wrong road. Some people end up with a degree in something that doesn’t interest them anymore. Waiting could be the solution to this American mindset epidemic. A solution could be that the student stops after high school, and works a little in that field as an apprentice. They can then get the feel of what the field encompasses, and actually see if they are cut out for that career.
One reason why the American culture condemns waiting is that it can produce fear in people. People are afraid of stopping because it can lead to inner thoughts and thoughts of the future that are not always nice and pleasant. If people just keep working, then they will not have the time to think about the future or confront that dreadful fear of their inner beings. Waiting is an aspect that is embedded into the American culture as evil, but that is not necessarily true. Waiting can sometimes be helpful, but people just need to stop, wait, and listen to actually see this truism.