I hate waiting. Never enjoyed it. I can deal with delays and waiting with good grace, but it’s never something I enjoy. When I decided to study in Africa, when I joined my team in Iraq, when I left for Japan and then China…all of these involved waiting periods and they frustrated me to no end.
Which isn’t to say I’m not being productive. On the contrary, I’m a firm believer that preparation and double-checking things can ensure things go as smoothly as possible–at least until Murphy rears his ugly mug. I was given a list of paperwork to bring on Monday and it’s all packed up in my bag. Bring supplies for the academy? Check. Study the service areas for all seven police departments and all fourteen fire departments my agency serves? In progress. Learn the police phonetic alphabet?
Also done.
I’m eager. No two ways about it. I want to get started, to kick this journey off! I’ve worked hard to get here and I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me. Great. That’s why I signed up in the first place.
Still, there are limits to what I can do. Other than keep reading my books, staring at maps, and rolling back my internal clock so I’m getting up at 0500 regularly now, all I can really do is wait.
I hate waiting.
911 Dispatches 