Waiting
Learning to wait in different ways
It’s been a great couple of weeks, and I’ve been developing a sometimes-frustrating sense of patience, I feel like. Both in a short- and long-term sense. But I’ve definitely been growing there.
In the short term, I am barely bothered at all to spend precious minutes of my time standing around waiting for the train, or walking a bit to complete a commute somewhere, or looking out the windows on the bus for half an hour. I don’t fully know what it is, but I’d say I’ve developed a deeper sense of “noticing,” of looking at the little details around me, or finding amusement in the quiet chaos of a polite and mostly-full bus or the pigeons proudly moseying around the downtown train stations.
Maybe it’s slower, yeah, but there’s something to be said for the ways that these little moments of randomness connect neurons in my brain, helping me notice the world in ways I wouldn’t otherwise. And it definitely helps me feel more creative as well.
In a longer-term sense, I’ve been waiting for God to provide something definite in the realms of both my work and apartment situations. I have a job, but it’s part-time with low hours and low pay, and it’s a temporary contract. I have an apartment, but it’s a two-month sublease that ends at the end of July—also temporary. With some very solid leads and options on the table, on both fronts, I’m now waiting for long-term solutions to work out.
I’ve been to, unsurprisingly, more classical concerts downtown, and I got to hear the Grant Park Festival Choir as well, who were very solid—hearing a Christmas concert in July was very entertaining… as was restarting a few pieces, since they were being recorded, and clunky, squeaky chairs tend to oppose themselves to pristine sound quality.
The beach and lakefront trail are both places I’ve found myself stopping by more often… because it’s summer, so of course I’m going to go to the lake. It’s interesting how I’ve been able to explore these areas frequently, often by myself—but since there’s always lots of people around, I’m never really alone. As an extrovert, that definitely is enough to energize me.
It’s been great to simultaneously enjoy hanging out with friends here and there, getting to know my roommates more deeply, and continuing to explore the city through my little solo mini-adventures.
My church has been awesome so far, and it’s been beyond refreshing to continue growing in this community, slowly and surely, one conversation (and laugh) at a time. Community is a great thing, and the combination of lunch after church and going to the beach has proven to be pretty great as well.
And as for my mini-adventures in the city, these little excursions are the perfect example of why I care so much about mundane things like infrastructure, or buses, or bike lanes, or sidewalks.
One day, I biked to an apartment showing, a gigantic park nearby, then across a separated bike/walking trail towards the lake, and I stopped by the lake, ending my journey with a quick ride through downtown and back to my apartment.
Just yesterday, I took the train to that same trail and walked a bit on foot, I took the bus to get a free Chicago hot dog for dinner (just a mile or so down the street), hopped on a different bus to the beach (again), and wandered around by the lake for a bit. Finally, I walked through a park and several blocks on the street to reach the train station, where I transferred to a different train downtown, and completed my journey home with just a bit more walking.
So yeah, I care about things like bike lanes and public transit because I feel free to go basically anywhere on my bike, which costs me $0. And that second adventure I mentioned cost a mere $5—no paying for parking, hailing a taxi, or renting a scooter.
Is it the fastest way from point A to point B? Usually not (but it really is sometimes fastest to take the train, or even to bike, than any other mode of transport). But slowing down a little bit has helped me to deepen my appreciation of the world around me, to enjoy exploring on my own, to value time spent with friends just a bit more—because if I’m a 40-minute train ride from home, and they’re spending $25 for parking, or rented a bike to get there, then yeah, I hope we can all slow down and enjoy some time spent together!
Waiting, in the long-term sense, is an active choice I make—to choose trust over worry, to keep hope inside my headspace—rather than a passive or lazy lack of action. This waiting only comes after months of continuously taking the best, most proactive steps forward that I can, with the absolute most faithfulness I could muster. And now, the outcomes depend on things and people outside my realm of control… so I wait.
Bonus Photos
I’d like to check out the church roof!