It started Friday morning. I was leaving for the weekend for a snowboarding adventure on man made snow with my boyfriend and our double-dating-duo friends. The plan was to embark on our travels at 1PM. I was excited to sleep in, roll out of bed, and head to Reno but instead, I was asked to drop off the kids I babysit at school. No big deal- I now had time to grab coffee with a best friend instead of staying in a mess of tangled sheets all morning.
Here is where knowing myself better gave me a chance to have a happier coffee-sipping-catch-up-sesh.
So the thing about this best friend is she takes forever to get out of the house and well, it annoys me. I become sassy and snappy when she isn't ready to go. So on Friday morning, after I dropped off the kiddos and was on my way to her house for our coffee date, I thought to myself, I know she isn't going to be ready when I get there and I know it's going to bother me. I'm just going to be sitting there, and waiting and waiting, while she is still getting ready and I'll just be sitting there, becoming more and more annoyed, and no matter how many times I tell her we have to GO, I'll still be sitting there, waiting, becoming bitter... unless (!) I decide not to.
I know myself, and I know I'll become impatient if I'm just sitting and waiting so maybe, I thought, I'll bring my book and read... except, shit, I forgot my book at home. (Note to self: bring book next time.) So with no book, but a better sense of my annoyance tolerance, I knocked on her door and was prepared to wait and not be annoyed. Turns out, Unwrapped was on the Food Network and I was perfectly content catching the last 15 minutes of their Peanut Butter Bites episode until she was ready. After, we enjoyed a pleasant drive to Starbucks, sans sassy and snappy Ashley. Overall, it was a happier experience because I got to know myself better.
I wish I could report that my epiphany of trying to change my actions and attitude when I was forced to sit and wait for other people stuck until even today (Monday) but, unfortunately, my realization was short lived. Just a few hours after coffee it was 1PM and we weren't on the road to Reno.
"Have they picked you up yet? We had to leave 10 minutes ago." I snapped at my boyfriend when it was 1:10 and I was still sitting on my bed, waiting...
They were running late. I was getting moody. I could feel myself tensing up as the minutes passed. I was stressed over hitting traffic and arriving late for dinner. I was already failing at staying in a happier state of mind...
When they eventually picked me up I was irritated. I tried to hide it, in an effort to start a 4 hour drive without tension, but only they know if I succeed... I made a minor detail of our trip a huge deal. We didn't have to leave at 1PM, that was just the time I wanted us to leave. And as it turns out, I lived. Even though we left "late." We hit minimal traffic, still went out dinner, and had an awesome weekend (minus my face first fall off the ski lift...).
Do I still need to work on trying to control my happiness when people are running a little late. Definitely. Will it always be a success? Hopefully... but probably not. However, the odds are better for a positive outcome after getting to "know thyself."
Stay tuned.. -a.
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