Patience is a rare thing, indeed

Today, I kept finding reminders of just how impatient people have become. It's everywhere. Our entire society is geared to instant gratification. Not only do we have to have everything, but we have to have it NOW!

It's sad, really. I bet the successful old Heinz ketchup commercial with the song Anticipation as its theme would be a flop today. To some degree, this goes hand in hand with the demise of good manners.

I see it at work all the time. Everyone needs to get an instant answer to whatever their petty little question might be. I'd understand the big stuff being a rush, but everything needs to be answered right away.

The same goes for virtually every aspect of life today. Look around us. Does anyone appreciate savoring anything anymore?

Believe it or not--and, if you know me, I'm sure you'll believe it--I even see it extending to sex-related matters. Many of the pictures I see are more revealing than ever. Now, if I want to look at porn... well, fine. I know where to find that.

But what's the deal with swimsuits, sexy posters, etc.? What's with the pictures that make it that much easier to see a hot guy's dick through his clothes? Another non-surprise: I'm quite the fan of hot guys with nice dicks, but, believe it or not, that's not the point.

For someone with any appreciation for anticipation, for the power of imagination to enhance what we see, for the value of a little waiting before being gratified, recent years have brought a disappointing lack of taste.

I find it hotter to see a cutie in tight jeans and a nice shirt than standing there with nothing left to the imagination. Doesn't anyone like their fantasy lovers (not to mention the real ones) to start out clothed, allowing a lot of making out before slowly peeling off those clothes to see what's hidden beneath? Or is that old-fashioned?

To get back to the non-sexual stuff, do you remember the fun of receiving an actual letter? Not e-mail. An actual hand-written note on paper! To this day, receiving a nice, hand-written note means so much more to me than e-mail.

In conclusion, I offer an admission. I'm as guilty as anyone else (aside from what I think is hot in men). I like using e-mail, and I use a cell phone to allow for quick contact. Still, when I sit back and take a moment to think (and at least I still do that on occasion), I regret where modern life has taken us. In many ways, life is much better than it was years before (however, I will save that for another post), but I do regret this little slide away from old-fashioned, relaxed civility.