Patience

I've heard it suggested that one of the first things you are to do when you get to Paris, is to stop...  stop, have a coffee at the local cafe, and change your internal clock to Paris time.   Now for most of us, that probably means a change to the time on our wristwatch, but more than that, it means to engage in a level of patience that most of our cultures are not built on, at least mine isn't.   As I look towards the next steps of this journey, I am beginning to take an inventory of what has changed in me since coming to Paris.   Patience is one of the largest things that has come from this time.   Everything in Paris happens at it's own pace, the waiters come by your table whenever they feel like it, and they deliver your food whenever it is convenient.   The cashier at the local supermarket moves slowly, as there is no reason for her to move quickly, that is just not how it is done here.

I remember waiting for a delivery of two signs for the church, they were supposed to come on a Monday, and the truck driver called on Monday and said he would be there that afternoon... he wasn't.  Tuesday went by, and then Wednesday, and Finally the signs arrived on Thursday, late in the afternoon.  But, of course, they were the wrong signs.   This is such a great example of how things unfold here in the city of Light.   Sure, to many it is romantic, and to others, it is a dream city; all of those things are true, but one of the things I will always remember is the Parisian clock, it seems to tick to it's own beat.   As irritating as that may be at times, it has taught me to stop and take in life, enjoy meals, enjoy conversations, and not let one second pass by without my experiencing it.   I think that has been the key to learning patience.  

Now if I can just hold on to that, then all will be golden.