I was waiting for the barista at Starbucks to make my quad-shot iced espresso the other day, and it dawned on me that I was doing something I didn’t often do.
Wait.
High-speed internet. Insta-pot cooking. On-demand TV shows. Grocery delivery services. Our lives have turned into a giant race against time.
I read a story recently that quoted a Stanford neuroscientist by the name of David Eagleman. He is an expert in the science of waiting.
“Our sense of time is surprisingly easy to manipulate,” Eagleman said.
It’s why companies play music on the phone while we wait on hold. It’s also why some websites put an hourglass on the site while a page loads. Is it actually happening faster? Or does a simple distraction just make it feel that way?
Anyway, while I was standing there, eyes down, scrolling social media to see what I’d missed on the drive to the coffee shop, another caffeine addict reached over and tapped me on the shoulder. His name was Keith. He announced that he’d been a reader for more than 20 years.
“I gotta tell you,” he said, “leaving newspapers and going out on your own has been outstanding. I can tell you’re having fun.”
Keith isn’t wrong.
Working for you is working for me. I love this independent endeavor. Any small business owner will tell you that having the entire operation on your shoulders is simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. And moments like that one — meeting a reader in the wild — are part of the joy.
It happens daily. It never gets old. I wish I could shake every one of your hands and thank you. Your readership means the world to me. I tried to tell Keith that in the few moments we had, standing there. But I wanted to make sure you heard it, too.
So, thanks.
Thanks for being here, subscribing, and reading. Thanks for sharing this endeavor with friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family. And thank you for supporting seniors who couldn’t otherwise afford to be here.
The Saturday Special aims to give readers tips, insights, takeaways, opinions, and tidbits to add to the game day experience.
You’ve waited long enough.
Enjoy…