Whatever Happened to the Art of Waiting?

Create for no one but yourself

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

‘Buy now’ — one tap on this button and the item arrives at your doorstep. Grocery apps such as Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and Blinkit in India are making millions through two main factors; convenience and urgency.

However, I remember those days when a local vegetable vendor would tell me, ‘didi (sister), I have run out of fresh batch of mushrooms. If you give me two days, I will get you fresh ones’. And in those two days I had to get creative and think about making a dish with all the leftover vegetables that always turned out to be exquisite.

These apps have taken away the joy of being patient. When I say joy, I mean the days when we used to wait for something eagerly because we made all the plans in our head about what we would do when that day arrives. We used to tell ourselves that the wait will be worth it. And because we waited so patiently, we valued everything that we got and would be grateful for it.

Lately, I feel that the patience it requires to grow in a business, art venture, or anything that you’ve put your mind to, is dwindling because we are so used to getting things at a drop of a hat. We seek instant validation through numbers (likes, reach, claps and other never-ending list of metrics) that the struggle it takes to be at a certain place is something one wants to overlook. And in that process, the joy of creating, the vision of making a difference and the value we want to provide to people gets lost.

How then are we supposed to value the journey before we reach the destination? In fact, isn’t the journey supposed to be more fun than the destination?

Art for the sake of art, reading for the purpose of pleasure, cooking for the joy of simply satisfying your soul and not for a flashy picture to post on your story, sitting in a cozy corner at a café journaling instead of scrolling your phone, is it all dying under the need of instant gratification? Or even worse, monetizing everything that was once a hobby because why not make money out of everything?

I remember those days when in school or college if a friend was struggling with a particular chapter, we friends would simply make the time and sit and explain the concepts on the stairs or at the library. There wasn’t a transaction involved or even the thought to make money out of it. However, now time is treated as money and the joy of just helping a friend is now termed as consultation or tuition. Because why would you be indebted to anyone because of their selfless help?

The point we really need to ponder on, is why does everything have to be under the umbrella of flashy success or a hefty bank balance. Providing help and knowledge just to plant a seed of curiosity for someone genuinely interested, is that going to be a rare phenomenon soon?

And will the wait to grow through hard work and consistency be seen as a waste of time because you’re not getting a million views for the vision you’ve created in your head to help people with the art that lives inside you?

Everywhere we read, ‘keep going’. And truly we must keep going to pursue art, writing, cooking and creating. But in the hustle, we must not forget, that the ‘process’ is where all the joy lies. The numbers, they only matter if you let it. What’s truly valuable, is the joy you get out of it, how present you feel while creating and how the weight is lifted off your chest when you put yourself out there. In the end, that’s what matters. And not the digital validation from strangers.

The below piece by Maria Rattray is just a living example of how kindness can not only change lives but plant the seed for lifelong friendships.

[embed]The Overwhelming Perks of Life in the Country Expect the unexpectedmedium.com

Some poems stay with you long after you finish reading them. This poem written by David Rosario does just that.

[embed]Money Whipped Money caused and affected more traumamedium.com

Thank you so much for your time!