Random ... Well, You Know The Rest

Time for another random dozen questions. Although there's not always a theme, this week's questions revolve around patience. Here we go!

1. How good are you at delaying gratification?

This covers a broad range of topics. There's the wait 20 minutes to eat something and your craving will go away (I usually nibble on chocolate while I'm waiting) to the don't buy something on credit--wait until you can actually afford it. I can do that. I can't afford not to.

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?

Temptations would depend on my mood and my situation at the moment. For instance, I was really tempted to stay in bed this morning, but I didn't. The tenth time that snooze went off, I forced myself to get up!

3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?

The Bible says that "tribulation worketh patience".  I don't want tribulation, so I don't pray for patience much. I'm probably a 4.

4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?

Nope. Every time I've waited until the meal was over to begin dessert, the ice cream was just as good as I anticipated!

5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?

Only if I know for sure that it's actually a shortcut, and not another way to get there that takes as long or longer than the first way. Huh?

6. Which line is hardest to wait in?

Is there an easy line to wait in? Can I have that one?

7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?

The first one we were surprised. (Boy) We found out the gender on all the others before they were born:  girl, boy, boy, boy, boy.  After a while we kept discovering the gender, but we weren't all that surprised anymore.

8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?

I'm probably more patient with children because they rarely drive their Buicks 15 miles below the speed limit in the fast lane.

9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?

Only twice. The first time, my mom was selling toys at home parties around Christmas time. One day she left me and some of my siblings in the car while she ran into the bank. We flipped open the boxes in the back to see what she had because we knew that's where our presents were coming from. The thrill (and subsequent guilt) of sneaking overshadowed everything else, and I didn't even remember anything I'd seen in the box.

The other time I peaked into the room where my mom was wrapping Christmas gifts and I saw a toy phone that I knew was for me. I announced to everyone, including my mom, that I was getting a toy phone for Christmas. I was excited right up until I unwrapped the package. Then I realized that waiting was half the fun and I never did it again. I never did enjoy that toy phone very much.

10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?

That would be when I waited ten days beyond my due date for our daughter to be born. Or the thirty-two hours of labor I went through before Matt was born.

11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other?

During labor he had more patience. He was annoying that way.

12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)



A) Anticipation by Carly Simon

B) The Waiting by Tom Petty

C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx

D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

I don't really know these songs, but if Anticipation is the one they used to sing for the commercial (was it syrup or ketchup?) while they waited for it to pour out of the bottle, then I'll pick that one.

If you want to join in with your own answers, or if you'd like to read random answers from random other bloggers, click the link at the top of the post!