Ed. Note: Is it cheating to re-post? If it is, forgive me, because I originally published this on 5/18/11. If you’ve already read its “Stop & Smell the Roses” sentiment, you may move on! God speed! Meanwhile, stay tuned for the “Teens & Driving” piece that I have on deck. It’s just taking me longer than I anticipated, and the messy bedrooms & teething infants & chatty ‘tweens & watch-a-movie-with-me? teens come first. Love you!
Also? I was asked in the com-box if I have since kicked this bad habit (i.e. checking my smart phone at every stop light). I am proud to say that I HAVE kicked the habit! How? It was easy; I lost my android.
Switching to a “dumb” phone was one of the smartest things I’ve done. : )
There’s a stoplight by my house—on the edge of the highway, on the way to my son’s school—at which I spend an inordinate amount of time just waiting.
Five minutes here, five minutes there…
I figure the total’s up to a good week’s worth of waiting by now.
Pulling to a stop, my foot resting heavy on the break, I look around for something to occupy my time. Usually I grab my phone—a Droid—and check email, Twitter, blog comments, whatever—anything to satisfy the racing demands of my mind.
And I’m not proud to admit this.
Tell me you don’t multitask at stoplights and you will have my admiration! Myself, I am guilty—almost always guilty—of living my life with a false sense of urgency. What’s next? What’s next? What’s next? my mind chirrups. It is a most annoying chorus.
So today we were reading a Dr. Seuss book called Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Well, I thought that the pep talk Seuss gives in this book would suit him.
(Little did I know that it would suit me, too.)
You can get so confused
That you’ll start in to race
Down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
And grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
Headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.The Waiting Place…
…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
Or a bus to come, or a plane to go
Or the mail to come, or the rain to go
Or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
Or waiting around for a Yes or No
Or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone just waiting.
Huh.
That all certainly sounds familiar.
I could have added any one of a number of things—the things for which I’m waiting. Like…waiting for my coffee to brew, waiting for the house to be clean, waiting for my weight to drop, waiting for my husband to change, waiting for my son’s handwriting to improve, waiting for my daughter’s soccer practice to be over, waiting for the email that will cheer me up, waiting for the rain to stop…
And today I’m thinking, STOP.
Just stop.
I need to stop waiting around for…what? I don’t know. And I need to stop my mind from racing. (This isn’t easy for a hyper-caffeinated mom, as you know. I’m working on that habit, too.)
The very first change I’m making is this: I will try (how I’ll try!) to stop checking my email at all the stoplights. It’s one of my big bad habits, though—enormous, even—and this will take some time.
Lots of time.
Five minute’s worth of time…at a time.
Five minutes of praying, listening, being.
What do you do while you’re waiting at stoplights? Do you stare straight ahead with your eyes on the road, or are you a multi-tasker like me?
This reminds me of what our pastor talked about after this past Sunday's gospel – "Jesus said to Martha 'Don't just do something, sit there.'" He was saying we should always reflect and listen!
If you want to hear the homily google St. Monica's Dallas and click on media. You will find July 21st sermon on the left.
Again, your blog is the best
Grandma in Dallas
Grandma Dallas, that is the sweetest thing I've heard all day.
(Granted, it's only 10:30…but still. Thank you.)
I will check out your pastor's sermon. It's just what I need with the feast of St. Martha coming up!
Here's the link, everyone! "Don't Just Do Something…"
What I would like to know is…How did you do? Were you able to stop checking your email at stop lights in the last two years or is it still a work in progress? Here in Ohio, it has become illegal to do so unless you are pulled off the side of the road. God bless you and your family!
Please see the "Editor's Note" above. : )
Love your editor's note, so funny, and yet, so true!
Congrats on kicking the habit! God does His work in ALL kinds of different ways (even involving cell phones)! 🙂
I can't find the old post…was wondering what I said back then. I remember this post. I'm curious how or if you've changed too.
Now, I always change the channel on the radio…I love loud dance music in the car (or big white van) Otherwise, I wait…I should pray shouldn't I?
I added the link to the "Editor's Note" above, Jamie.
Oh, Thank you–I did finally find it in the last label "spiritual growth" Fun to read what I was thinking way back then…Our van is still too loud to make phone calls. And I have a "dumb phone" anyway.
Margaret,
Am switching my Droid to a dumb phone, to avoid being a slave to it and neglecting my children in the process. Thanks for the confirmation of that decision!
Ann Karels
Yay for you, Ann! I'm happy to hear it.
This was worth reposting. I used to live my life with that false sense of urgency. I guess I'm getting too old and slow to do that now! But I am definitely guilty of waiting for things instead of luxuriating in life. I read a poster just yesterday actually which I saved as a reminder. "Don't wait for the perfect moment, make the moment perfect."
By the way, thank you for putting your children ahead of your blog. xx
haha…I have a dumb phone too…so no hope for that little device. Though my husband was showing me all the wonderful spiritual apps available on his smartphone……
What do I do while waiting at a stoplight? Zone out. With everyone strapped in I tend to be in my own little world. Poor kids…finally I hear, "Mom! Mom! Why won't you answer me?!"
I tighten muscles and do kegels…it helps! We often pray the rosary too! It's too loud in our big 15 passenger van to listen to music and we always talk–now that the 3 year old has given up naps!
No smartphone here, and everything can wait….really!
Donna L