I think as you get older, you begin asking the hard questions in life. Most young people want to zip through life and ignore the various stop signs and road blocks that we encounter. Instead, so we think, it is easier to look for the detours in life.
    But sooner or later -- we must all take time to see life as it really is and not as Hollywood portrays it to be.
    For instance.
    How are you with interruptions? How do you deal with irritations? How about inconveniences? Or how about stress? Many are all stressed up and no place to go.
    It is estimated that the average person spends one year searching for misplaced objects, six years eating (I like that one), eight months opening junk mail (punch the delete button on your computer), four years trying to return telephone calls to people who never seem to be in the office. Five years waiting in lines (especially at Wal-Mart), and six months sitting at traffic lights.
    Students at Pittsburgh University timed Wendy's, McDonald's, and Burger King at least 100 times to see who was the fastest. Wendy's won - taking an average of 46 seconds to serve a hamburger, fries and soft drink. It took 1 1/2 minutes at McDonald's and three minutes at Burger King.
    Which causes me to ask the question: What is patience?
    It is not just putting up with something. Patience is more than just endurance, though endurance is part of patience. You are not a failure until you quit -- but if you quit -- you are always a failure.
    I must confess that patience has not always been my strongest virtue. But I believe the older you get -- the more you learn about patience and dealing with stress in life.
    But the strange thing is -- Patience is the child of tribulation. There is not maturity without patience and no patience without tribulation.
    Trials and tribulation in life help us become more patient. With life in general and people in particular. We are all alike when we want all honey and no bees. We just want to sail through life with ease.
    But real life isn't like that is it?
    When a trial comes you mature -- and then you endure.
    One thing I have learned in life. An impatient person is always an unhappy person. You cannot be happy and impatient at the same time.
    That's why laughter is truly a cure for life's illnesses. While we don't laugh during tragedy...there are many things in life that we can smile about while we are facing the stress mess of life.
    Remember - Laughter is life's shock absorber! But it doesn't hurt to throw in a little prayer every now and then -- not only for yourself -- but for others.
    E-mail: drdd@swbell.net
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