Waiting for Godot

If someone told me, "Katie, wait till they start chemical warfare," I would say, "Good. I can wait. I can do that" – Byron Katie

I have been asked to wait recently, and this quote from Katie came to mind. I can wait. It is something I can do.

What I notice is that when I’m the one saying, “Wait until…” that I’m already there. I’m not waiting, I’m being impatient, pushy, getting way, way ahead of myself. What is happening here now when I’m saying that? How would I know? I’m too busy over there, possibly years ahead, possibly never, living a life I fear. Yet right here, right now there is nothing to fear, there is only support.

It seems the whole world is waiting for something. Once it was AIDS, there was Ebola, SARS, Avian Flu – epidemics are popular things to wait for because they speak of death, finality, the end of waiting. There are many people here waiting for the end of Bush’s reign – they even have timers for sale counting down the seconds to his last day in office. We count down the days to Christmas, to the next football season, to 2012, there’s always something to keep us away from this.

In this moment, I find myself waiting too. Waiting for the next word to come, waiting for Godot.

When I am waiting with expectation, when I want an outcome: that is when I’m no longer here. When I am waiting purely in anticipation of what could come next – waiting for Godot – then I remain here, at peace, aware and open. Anything is possible and everything is welcome.

Yes, I can wait. I can do that.