Tolerance

As a teacher, I can't tell you how many times I wanted to scream, "Can't you follow instructions?!"

It's not a surprising reaction given the amount of time teachers at all levels typically spend creating interesting projects, assignments or activities to facilitate the learning of those who are in their classes.

As a person who writes, I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me a question and I was tempted to snarkily reply, "The answer is written here in plain words. Just read."

This is not unusual for a person who spends time working with their own words in an effort to communicate.  It's not hard to understand how it might be upsetting when it feels like someone hasn't given that very thing I spent (sometimes significant) time on little more than a glance.

As a human being who has been in situations where a group is receiving direction, I have been that person who sometimes feels exasperated when it seems like we should be ready to get going... but "some people" (say that with a roll of your eyes) just are too slow to figure it out.

I attended a meeting a couple of weeks ago where the person leading the meeting said something to the effect of, "So, everyone should have done this thing so we can do this other thing now...."

I was about to say, "WAIT!  You didn't tell us to do that....."  

Instead, I found the email and re-read it.

And, I found the instructions that I missed when I "read" it the first time.

Then I did my best to be a positive part of the meeting.

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And that is why, my friends, I give the instructions again.

Answer the question again.

And do my best to wait patiently, even though I really just want to get started.