But nothing happened. I didn’t constantly look
at my watch. I didn’t swear (no more than usual, anyway). I didn’t even tut. I
just stood/sat there, waiting for events to take their natural course.
Turns out I’m, like, totally Zen. Which is
weird.
It’s Bulgaria’s fault. The country has
gradually chipped away at my natural impatience until there’s nothing left. Somewhere
along the way we just got used to simple things taking a whole morning, and the
fact that everything – EVERYTHING – takes longer than you think. Now, faced
with an inconvenient delay, all I can muster is one of those typical Bulgarian shrugs.
(You know the type I mean. That downturn of the mouth. That almost
imperceptible rise of the shoulders. The look that just says, meh, what can
you do? That shrug.)
And it’s brilliant. I feel like – how to describe
it – a grownup? I’ve finally evolved from a petulant being who
wants everything now goddammit to someone who’s learning not to get worked up
about things I can’t control. It’s liberating. What’s more, all that shuffling
and complaining and looking at the clock was tiring. Now all I have to do is shrug.
It’s way more energy efficient.
So thanks, Bulgaria, for teaching me the
virtue of patience. All I need to do now is apply the same Zen attitude to
Brexit news, and I’m pretty sure I’ll achieve actual enlightenment.