Wait for Your Turn

Imagine that you are to withdraw money from the ATM machine. There is a queue. You have been standing there for some minutes, or maybe some hours. Then another person passes by and stands next to the person withdrawing money. People yell at that person for being rude and disrespectful.

Have you experienced the same? What did you feel? How did you react? You felt bad, right?

But not all people are like that one. One day I had to pay for twenty (20) items at a supermarket cashier. At my back I saw a woman who looked older than me, carrying just one (1) item. I told her to take her turn to pay and I would be next. She thanked me and politely said, "I wait for my turn."  Woman. Gentlewoman. Behaved. Courteous.

In a sharing accommodation, I was using the restroom when someone knocked on the door repeatedly as if there was an emergency. I was just beginning to do my thing there so I felt like a bit sick if I could not finish it. If it was locked somebody was inside so he/she must wait for his/her turn.

It shows disrespect when we take the slot of another person who is supposed to be serviced or to use a certain machine, equipment or facility. If time is precious to you, so it is to another.  The word is respect.

Do not say that you only have one (1) item to pay to the store counter cashier so that the person next in line will give you his/her time to pay to you.

If you are in shared accommodation or in a launderette/laundromat, do not say that you only have few pieces of clothes to wash in a single cycle so another person who has his own program of activities for the day, gives in to your wish.

In a restaurant, you never push a waitress to give you the bill right away if she still attends to another customer.

When you are to cross the street in the city, you wait for the green light. There is that orange sign to alert both the motorists and pedestrians that next will be either stop or go light. You do not cross the pedestrian lane when you do not see the green light yet or you will be fined, worse, you will be hit by a running vehicle.

When I encounter people who cannot wait for their turn, I have this question in mind -- "How was he/she raised up?"  There is a common story for those I know in person, who behave like that. There was no mother to teach them good manners and right conduct (GMRC) in their childhood. Sad to hear this.

What about the school? It is good to note that "several lawmakers (in the Philippines) are now looking at the positive impact of reviving the Good Manners and Right Conduct as a separate subject in Basic Education curriculum".

It is a Golden Rule in Christian teachings --

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Parallel to this, the Mosaic law contains the commandment --

Whatever is hurtful to you, do not do to any other person.

When you wait for your turn, you follow one of the Golden Rules.

I passionately meditate on this. Waiting for our turn requires patience. Patience is a virtue. We must have a good reservoir of it. If we do not have patience, we miss the meaningful rides of life.

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Photo credits:  Pixabay