PATIENCE PAYS OFF

Everybody was exploding in anger. The passengers were heaping insults and obscene words on the ship personnel. They could not bear the maddening long delay of the sea trip. Those who were taking the plane for Manila were already worried of not catching their flight on time. All of a sudden, I heard loud screams urging the ship to leave. But, the tension grew worse when someone advised the passengers to stay calm since they were still trying to settle the clearance stuff.

I stayed calm and composed though. To panic like most of the people around me at that time was senseless. It would just drain me. To flare up like those who were in a hurry was just futile. I mean, delays are accidental. The ship departure was supposed to be at 7 a.m. but we were still stuck at 9 a.m. I held on to my patience. I picked my book and amuse myself through reading so I would not dwell on the frustrating delay. My attention was caught by some people packing up and getting of the ship with a little scowl. I merely stared at them.

After some minutes, someone finally announced the departure of the ship. The people’s applause was akin to the one heard when someone is declared to win the lottery. And the ship left……………….what about those who just got off?

If I failed to stretch my patience, of course, I would have gotten off the ship as well. See what the patience did for me? Patience really does pay off. There are instances that really test our self-control. Delays are some of those especially when we are in a hurry. But accidental as they are, there is nothing we can do about them. They are beyond our control. To react is normal, but to respond vehemently and go out of hand is absurd. Why not remain calm instead of sweating in panic? Calmness in the midst of any unexpected situation is essential to maintain a clear thought so, one could plan for a remarkable alternative and come up with a rational decision to beat a sudden delay. And if there is no other way out like no other ship to take when one is stuck then just patiently wait until things are resolved.

What do you think had happened to those who impatiently got off the ship? All the more, they got delayed and annoyed.

It was just a very simple situation that taught me a huge lesson. There is nothing better than staying calm and patient in any trying moments. Otherwise, one would really lose the game.