Old guy at the post office counter changed my mind about waiting in line

I was standing in line fuming about the slow service when the guy behind me said 'you know, this is the only part of my day where nobody can ask me for anything.' He was in his 70s with a worn-out leather jacket. Has anyone else had a stranger say something that totally flipped your mood like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

noahmartin1mo ago

Used to get so wound up in lines, always watching the clock and getting mad. But that old guy has a real point - its the one time nobody can bug you about work or anything else. Ever since I heard something similar I've started treating those few minutes like a break instead of a punishment. Makes the whole wait feel shorter too when you stop fighting it.

phoenixb341mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah exactly. I remember standing in the DMV line about a year ago and this old timer just smiled at me while I was huffing and puffing. He said "son, you're gonna be here either way, might as well take a load off." I realized he was right and now I treat those waits like a forced meditation, even though I'm probably the least zen guy you'll meet. My wife thinks it's hilarious because now I actually look forward to grocery store lines. She caught me grinning at the post office once and asked if I was having a stroke.

nora1101mo agoTop Commenter

Grinning at the post office though? That's a whole other level of zen...

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