Patience is a Virtue

“Greatest of human virtues is always patience (Maxima enim est hominum semper patientia virtus)~Cato (?), Disticha, bk i, No. 38 (c. 175 B.C.)

We’ve all heard this, “patience is a virtue”, but apparently the above is the earliest time recorded. Today I was waiting for the bus, in the doctor’s office, when I heard a childlike voice say, “Happy Halloween”. I hadn’t noticed her walking by since I was trying to write a note to a long distance friend. Such a time difference between us, only a few when we can chat. I looked up to see a woman around my age unsteadily walking to the door. I answered her greeting, looked back to my phone, had the sound off, but still trying to contact my friend. The woman said she was waiting for curb-to-curb (the same bus I take), but mine was scheduled for a later time. 

She left, and I decided to read blog posts on the phone. Finally I went outside to get some air, and there she was, sitting on a bench reading. I asked what she was reading. From then on, I listened to her story. She had a stroke, and talking was slow and difficult, hard to understand. She went on about the book, “The Grain Brain”, which had highlighted sentences and many paper strip bookmarks. 

Paying close attention was required, even though I was anxious to chat with my friend. My phone was vibrating, but she didn’t seem to notice, so I  turned it off completely. This extraordinary woman was from Germany, a cat for a roommate, brain lesions, and dyslexic. Yet here she was, acutely aware how difficult it was to find the right words and have them heard correctly.  She read some excerpts from the book. I am not usually a patient person. This dear woman entertained me until I left the bus at my complex. I learned so many interesting facts about her. I wonder if we’ll meet again on the bus. 

 Never made contact with my friend today, but I’m glad I had the patience to meet a new one.