Waiting

I anxiously glanced at the clock and stared at the far distance. Another train was on its way. As it pulled into the station I couldn’t help but sigh. It was packed again. Serves me right for trying to get a ride during peak hours.

I stepped back and watched as the doors opened and people scrambled to get on or off the train. There are times when this particular scene annoys me. I used to wonder why people could not just wait until everybody had gotten off before entering the train. But the more I got used to riding the train, the more I understood how people’s minds worked. They couldn’t wait for people to get off because that would mean the possible loss of opportunity to get on this particular train, and waiting for the next one would be unbearable. I guess I was the only one on the platform who could bear waiting for the next train to come along.

But like everyone else, I didn’t have the time to spare. I had a class I needed to attend, yet there I was standing on the platform for almost an hour, waiting for the next train, and the next. At least four trains have passed. I lost count after the fourth one. I did not join the fray of squeezing into a crowded train and instead chose to wait, not because I was maarte or putting on airs, but simply because I had a sense of self-preservation. I didn’t think risking injury or getting into a fight while trying to get on the train is worth it.

The running question in my mind was always: Why can’t people learn to wait? Whether it is in lining up in a restaurant or paying bills, people commonly get into arguments over who was there first. Sometimes, even when ordering at a fast-food joint, waiting for 10 minutes for food is unbearably long for some people. Even some drivers on the road cannot wait for the green light and choose to beat the red light. Some may get away with it sometimes, but there are times when the unfortunate happens, all because people can’t, or don’t know how to, wait.

This attitude has been transferred to members of the younger generation, who are used to instant gratification. In today’s world, everything is at the click of one’s fingers. Time is a very precious commodity, not because it is “gold” or cannot come again, but simply because waiting has become unacceptable to most.

Those moments of waiting for and actually riding in the train have given me time to think. I have realized that those moments are just like life. The trains come and go. They will not wait for you. Either you’re quick to get on or you’ll wait for the next one—just like life.

Life gives us trains of opportunities; it’s up to us to grab one and move on, or let it pass. Of course, when you join the fray, there’s a possibility you might get hurt. Some people can’t afford to wait because for them the next train will be too late. And if you’re the kind who won’t take risks, you have to wait for a long time. As I said, we live in a fast-paced world where everything is instant. It’s not exactly the survival of the fittest, but the survival of the quickest.

But I believe in the value of waiting. I believe that what is meant for me will come at the right time. It’s said that patience is a virtue, yet it’s difficult to stay optimistic if you’ve been waiting for over an hour and it feels like everyone has moved on with their lives.

But just as I was telling myself that I’ll get on the next train whether it’s full or not, a train pulled into the station and when the door opened, I was the only one who got on, no competition. I even found a seat. That’s the saving grace of riding on the train: I’m reminded that there are still good people in the world, those who will offer you their seat because you look like you need it more.

As the train pulled out of the station, I couldn’t help but smile. Truly there is value in waiting. Good things come to those who wait, and what is meant for me will come at the right time.

Marian Patricia Bea Francisco, 26, juggles time between being a teacher and a student.