A prayer for patience

My hope is that with age comes wisdom and with wisdom comes patience.

And I felt I was on a path to more patience as I stepped out of the race rate and traded wing tips for flip flops with retirement a few years ago.

But I’m back doing battle as a road warrior with a consulting job that will require regular travel between my home in New Hampshire and Columbus, Ohio.

And I realize that my path as a freelance writer and editor to achieving more patience is now a long, long road.

Frankly, I had a lifestyle that lulled me into thinking I was becoming more patient as I age toward 60.

There wasn’t too much that could get me riled up when my commute consists of walking from the kitchen with a fresh-brewed cup of coffee to my music room/office down the hall of the house where my wife and I live.

Now my commute is by car, by plane, by bus, by cab, by whatever means necessary to get me from Point A to Point B to meet my client.

The patience factor was tested on a return trip from Columbus last week.

There was the TSA experience.

Now, I didn’t mind that I had to assume the position to be scanned and felt up. Do whatever you need to do to keep me safe on an airplane that’s 30,000 feet or so above the ground.

No, what tested my patience in the security line was the stupidity of other passengers.

In particular were the two 20-something young ladies who apparently don’t know -- even after hearing it 100 times -- that water is liquid.

The TSA agent was rattling through the items that are allowed and not allowed in carry on bags. You’ve heard the drill: No liquids or gels of more than three ounces.

“And water is liquid, ladies and gentlemen. Water is liquid,” said the agent as part of his audio loop spiel.

So what are these two girls carrying? Right, giant bottles of water that they tried to send through in their buckets with their shoes, cell phones, etc. The process ground to a half as the offending water bottles were recovered and disposed of.

Another road warrior looked at me and said: “I guess we chose the wrong line.”

Then after all that I pick up an text alert on my phone on my way to the gate that my flight had been cancelled.

So I have to leave the gate area and return to the ticket counter to get routed home through a different airline … and assume the position again for the TSA.

Insult to injury. Fortunately, the water as liquid scenario didn’t play out again.

There will be more instances of humanity doing its best to tick me off. And occasionally it will succeed.

But I’m trying to rise above a response that leads to frustration, annoyance and anger.

My mantra: Patience, patience, patience.

No patience for stupidity

I have no patience or sympathy for stupidity and the consequences that can come as a result.

Perhaps as an aging Baby Boomer, someone who's been around the block once or twice (three times and four times) I'm getting less patient.

I've always considered myself as being pretty laid back and tolerant. Make love, not war. Live and let live. Boys will be boys.

But I find myself not suffering stupid very well any more.

My measure of stupid is anyone doing anything they know is wrong or foolish but they do it anyway as a path toward self promotion.

It is especially endemic these days because that self-promotion is so easy on the internet. It's easy to be a fool -- and an internet sensation -- on YouTube.

So I don't feel bad that 17-year-old Steve Consalvi who ran onto the field in Philadelphia during a Phillies-Cardinals earlier this week and was brought down with a cop using a Taser.

The father, who described his son to the Philadelphia Inquirer as a "real good student, heading to Penn State," referred to the incident as "teenagers having fun."

"He wasn't drinking. He was not on drugs," he said. "I don't recommend running on the field, but I don't think they should have Tased him at all".

But if the kid is as responsible as the dad says he is, then he would have known there would be consequences for knowing breaking the law and running on the field. And I suspect he did it because of the instant fame it would give him.

I did a search involving "taser" and "phillies" for YouTube and came up with more than 300 videos. The incident was a hot topic on TV and sports radio talk shows.

He deserved it, I say.

I side with Forrest Gump on this one: "Stupid is as stupid does."