I Did Something New Today
I did something new today. It’s not as fascinating as you might think, but I got a kick out of it.
A few days ago, I made an online purchase. For some reason, the Croatian website wouldn't accept my credit card. Instead of closing the screen and giving up, I explored my options. I noticed the word: pouzećem—cash on delivery. I thought to myself: wait, what?
In Canada, I’ve ordered food and paid for it on delivery. But Adidas sneakers? Someone will deliver a pair of sneakers to my home, and I will hand over the cash (yes, cash) to that person at the door? Really!?
I told you, it is not as fascinating as you might think. But I had to give this a go.
I can see all the busy people reading this, thinking: why would you waste your time? I can see all the efficient people reading this, thinking: stop! There’s a better way! I can see all those who rarely carry cash saying: why would you do this?! And I get it. I probably won’t make this a habit, but I had to check it out.
Why?
Not to see how the company handles the process, but rather to see how I handle the process, otherwise known as the waiting game.
I’ve been notified that the package will arrive sometime today. No time specified. I work from home. No problem. It does put a kink in my daily coffee at a cafe routine, but that will have to wait. Yes, I realize I’ve got it good.
I need to have the exact change for this purchase. That was fun. My father always tells me to carry cash in case of an emergency. I have the cash. The exact change: that took some time.
It’s 10 am. The sneakers have not arrived. I’ve made a list of things I need to do while I wait for the delivery, and writing a piece for Medium was on that list.
It’s now 10:06 am. The sneakers have not arrived. I have to stay in the apartment until they arrive. I don’t know if this was worth it. I want to get out and enjoy the sunshine. I want to have a coffee on a patio. I want the sneakers to be here already. Who came up with this cash-on-delivery option?
It’s now 10:14 am. I may not leave the house until later today. I want to take a shower. But what if they ring the doorbell while I am in the shower? I should start my workday. But I really want a coffee. I want to be out in the sun. I think I might be getting frustrated.
Ahh, the joy of understanding how much a small change in your day can impact your mood…if you let it!
It’s 10:21 am. Still no sneakers. The exact change is sitting on my kitchen table, waiting.
I opened the link I was sent, and it reads 22.03.2022. 07:26 pošiljka prispjela. The shipment arrived. Arrived where? Did I miss something? Was something lost in translation?
I’ve made myself a tea. I will close this tab in a few minutes and start my workday. Maybe the sneakers will arrive soon. Maybe not.
I was secretly hoping for a 9 am sneaker delivery. I was hoping the delivery would coincide with a time that worked for me. I was not that fascinated with the cash-on-delivery piece. I was interested in seeing how I would handle ‘waiting’ on someone else today.
You’ve probably done this at one time or another; waited on someone else to bring you what you want/need. You’ve been so caught up in waiting for the person/thing that you’ve forgotten to focus on the present, the here and now. You’ve forgotten to focus on YOU.
And that’s what this piece is about. Not the cash on delivery. But the concept of ‘waiting’ on something or someone.
I’ve done it—many times. I was someone who waited. I accepted and respected other people’s time more than my own. No one forced me to wait. I just did it. I waited.
That has changed.
Sometimes, like today, I get caught up in the waiting and stop everything I do to…wait. Why? Because I get excited thinking about what will be instead of what is. Those sneakers!
The good thing is, these days, I catch myself. I rarely spend my time waiting. Waiting means I don’t get to be present. It means I am caught in someone else’s storyline. It means I am letting someone else dictate how my day will look and how I will feel.
So, instead of waiting, I wrote a piece about waiting. And I took a shower, cleaned my place, and started my workday. That felt good.
It’s 11:47 am. The sneakers still haven't arrived. That’s fine. I’ve got things to do. I’m not sitting here, waiting.
