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“Hurry up and wait.” We’ve all heard that saying, and man, is it true.
Whether it’s waiting on hearing back from a job, waiting to go on vacation or waiting on someone to get ready, it seems we’re always looking to the next thing. We save up our PTO so that we may have a reprieve from the monotonies of our daily grind, that weekend the boys come up to visit or that trip to visit a new friend. I guess it’s the only thing keeping me from going insane; having something to look forward to that breaks up this existence.
I remember as a kid always wishing I was a “grownup.” As a non-card-carrying “grown up,” I would sell my soul to go back to playing kickball in the cul-de-sac, dominating manhunt, and building preteen-skilled ramps to take my Mongoose off in a heartbeat. I couldn’t wait for school to be over and to be on vacation while my parents toiled away working so that I could dick around all summer. Or I wished for the weekend for my hockey game, whatever NFL game was on and a break from learning times tables.
Then I went to college. I couldn’t wait to kick my parents out of my dorm room to go explore and see some girl that ended up being my trainwreck girlfriend for a year and a half. All my parents wanted to do was see me off and I was a total piece of shit to them. After my dad passed away, I remember reading one of those memes online about letting your parents see you off and it hit me really hard. I still feel terrible about it to this day.
After college, we apply all over for our “dream job” until reality kicks us in the teeth. No one wants some greenhorn Johnny Dicknballs with his shiny new college degree. A lot of time is spent waiting to hear back from the entry level jobs that everyone under the sun also applied for. You can give your best interview, be just qualified enough, have great unpaid internship experience and for all you know, the interview is a formality for someone who’s mommy and daddy were friends with the boss or for someone changing positions within the company. The wait to hear back — even if it’s a “we’ve found a candidate more qualified” — is soul-crushing.
After undergrad, I went to grad school because I wasn’t ready to be an adult and I thought it would be cool to have some letters after my name. When I worked for the police, I remember driving around with Chief and him telling me that all they do is wait. Wait until something happens, which constitutes at most 5% of their day. In the police academy, they prepare you like everyone has drugs or an AK-47 in their car, when in reality, all they do is write college kids tickets and go on domestic violence calls. He then told me to never become a cop.
We all get out of college and want to change the world, yet realize that we are just entering the world. Everyone wants to hit the ground running and do a lot in a little time, only to find out that your job is spent drowning on Excel, entering data, dealing with clients or helping coworkers figure out how to use their computer. People that say “if you love your job, you never work a day in their life” are full of shit. I work to pay bills and anyone that says differently is lying and you should immediately disassociate with them.
Everyone is trying to make a difference, yet there isn’t enough action. I’m mostly tired at the end of the day from going through the motions and dealing with bullshit. It’s not like my job is terribly demanding, either. When I worked for a country club, it was constant moving and having stuff to do, and I longed for a desk job out of the sun in 95 degrees with 100% humidity. Now, I stare at a screen and miss being busy or having the excitement of always being on my toes. I guess the grass is always greener.
As I sit around and wait for my new job to begin, I have realized that waiting is part of life. I remember reading some memoirs of Civil War soldiers, talking about waiting all the time. They march, drill and exist for that one day of battle. Many of them wanted to fight to curb the boredom of living in camp. There’s always something coming up — without it, I think that we as people would lose focus. Having something worth waiting for is part of being human.
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart, the waiting is the hardest part. .
Respond
Madoff
I specialize in damage control, being the drunkest at any and all functions and social assassination. Always appreciate a strong gif game. Follow me on Twitter. Sometimes I put up cool stuff about golfing at the local dirt tracks.
@BLMInvestment
Your columns consistently raise the bar for what should be published on this site, another great read.
I know there’s a button for this, but I couldn’t agree with you more! Any time I see an article by Madoff, I know I’ll be reading a quality article I can relate to. Unlike most of the other authors.
Thanks man that means a lot.
If you’re ever in Mississippi, give me a shout. With your love of guns, I have family land that’s great for deer, hog, alligator, duck, and pretty much any other Southern hunting you want to do.
I cried
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Incredible piece, thank you for writing it.
Also, I now feel bad about telling my friend that I can’t wait till Friday.
Great read as always. Waiting can be hopeful and sad all at once- and a lot of the time the expectation of what will happen ruins whatever it was we were waiting for
Dude, you’ve been submitting some real top notch stuff lately. Thanks for breaking up the monotony.
I let a friend borrow my Mongoose back in the day. I’m still waiting for him to bring that fucking thing back. Top shelf, Madoff.
I got hit by a high school girl on my Mongoose. Loved that bike. Bought new pegs and everything and never got to put them on. I had my bike against the curb and she ruined my bike. Still bitter about it.
My parents gave my mongoose to goodwill while I was away in college. I cried. Good shit.
As I sit in my cube on this Thursday, waiting for the coming weekend, this hit real close to home.
I know the feeling. Let Tom Petty help you on your way my man.
Congrats on the new job, and another good column. Waiting sucks, currently waiting on several approvals from the ATF, pay an additional $200 tax and wait 6 months to finally pick up what you purchased.
You taking down Daesh all by yourself, Rambo?
Just Dasher, Dancer, and Donner.
Jealous. I tried elk a few years back and I’m a huge fan of the in taste. Haven’t been hunting in years but when I find the time, I’d love to do some bigger game.
I go for deer in Western Wisconsin every year, finally getting things together for longer range hunts. In either instance, using a suppressor so you don’t blow your ears out is nice.
Just don’t shoot Santa. Got some big ticket items on the list this year.
Nice. My grandfather owned about 150 acres in Jersey, so I grew up hunting whitetail. It’s a fun time, but you really have to marinate the shit out of the meat if you want it tender.
We generally take just the tenderest cuts and process the rest (where pork is added to bring up fat content in burger meat, summer sausage, etc).
I like to let venison sit in a bath of cheap Cabernet for about 24 hours. Then I do a salt & pepper rub before tossing it on the charcoal grill. Works like magic for any red meat really.
Not to get all mindful on everyone but the true secret is learning to enjoy the wait, not just accepting that it exists. (This coming from someone who is constantly guilty of wishing their life away.)
Seriously great column. For some reason they always hit home for me, I can relate, keep writing, this site needs you, Madoff.
I really can’t explain all the thoughts and emotions this article exposed. Some heavy reading during my lunch break but once again, a deeply needed article. Thank you.