Line Up

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

I lost my student card. Again. It's the second time I've lost it this month and it's not even October. September is the worst time to lose your student card because the line up at the Registrar's Office is insane. People with actual problems (time table conflicts, transcript requests, GO bus forms) need help. Let me tell you that they are NOT impressed waiting behind someone like me who can't seem to locate a simple student card, twice. So, this morning I decided to go really early, like 8:30am early, to make sure I could walk in, grab my student card and walk out. No line. No hassle.
I arrived right around 8:30 and was waiting for the office to open while talking to a friend when I heard someone swear. I turned around, wondering what the problem was... The girl looked at me and asked: "Did you know the Registrar's Office doesn't open til 10 today? What the *@!# is with that?" I told her I had no idea and that I was just as frustrated (although I used nicer words). I went for a walk...killing time. I walked around, pretty much in circles, singing to myself and checking my watch every five minutes, cause I guess I figured the more I checked it, the faster the time would go? :)
By the time I got back to the Registrar's Office it was about 9:15. The girl I met before was sitting beside the closed doors with a book. I thought she looked comfortable (and I wanted a spot in line) so I joined her. I opened up my own book but I was interrupted every few minutes when another student would arrive at the Office, probably for a lost student card, and get frustrated that they had to wait. 10 o'clock drew nearer. One thing I noticed was that everyone waiting for the Office to open wasn't waiting in the nicely formed queue. I wasn't stressing out or anything, but I was annoyed that people felt they were more important than my lost student card. I was starting to get road rage, in the line up. How ridiculous is that? But I guess waiting for like an hour and a half was taking its toll.
Ten o'clock, the doors open and some students walked right in and others followed formality and basic line protocol: the person in front of you gets to go first! I wondered at myself. I mean, I'm not excusing the lack of line etiquette, but my response wasn't exactly superior. Lining up, waiting is a part of life. Without order, things would just be chaotic. (Imagine 20 students all running in screaming for new student cards-not pretty.) But I realized how impatient I am today. How much I think my own needs above that of others. How I think I am soooooooo important, that my student card should be returned first. Yes, I did wait the longest...but I didn't even stop to consider anyone else. I wanted what I wanted and nothing was getting in my way. Not even a line. Lines are everywhere, to get on the bus, to buy groceries, to get student cards...next time I'm in a line; I'm going to let someone else go first. I need to learn how to wait in a line.

posted by Rachel Pede @ 4:19 PM   0 comments