Waiting for Nothing to Happen 

So many of us find ourselves perched on the edge of life, like birds on a wire, waiting for the wind to change—waiting for the market to shift in our favour, for the ‘right’ time to ask for a raise, or for the perfect moment to discuss what’s difficult.  We wait for brighter days, for gentler weather, for retirement to realize our dreams of travel. We wait for another day when, surely, the seas will be calmer. We wait, because maybe tomorrow will be better. Yet, as a friend once confessed to me, “I wait for nothing to happen.” 
How many of us are marooned in that harbour? Waiting for the waves, or for the stillness, and finding only the endless indecision in between. 

 The Art of Delay 

I am no stranger to this inertia. If there were a crown for “let’s do it tomorrow,” it would rest on my head. Linda often laughed at my well-honed ability to postpone, to wrap the present in layers of later.  But with our recent health realities, all that changed.   

We’ve been looking at properties here on Jeju – to rent for another year or maybe even buy (in “why the hell not” spirit).   So we’ve run into the same realtor several times now, at different properties and naturally started talking about what we’re looking for and why we like Jeju so much. As we gushingly listed all the reasons; the friendly people, the closeness to nature and ease of access to the ocean AND the mountains, the many stunning sights and hikes, the laidback, safe and peaceful environment and so on, he looked puzzled as he listened.   Then poignantly asked:  “But isn’t all that what Vancouver is so famous for?”   Right!   Well, I offered some muddled, unconvincing response but his question kept echoing in my mind for days and had me wondering:    “If we already have it all, what is it we’re truly searching for?” 

 The Alchemy of Action 

For me, perhaps it’s the energy of discovery—a current of electricity in the unknown. The thrill of not knowing what lies around the corner, of wandering into a new dawn with nothing but hope in our pockets. “The magic is in the unknown” as another dear friend said over dinner one night when we told him we didn’t really know what the next year would bring. Indeed.   

There’s a fire that comes with forging your own trail, with making something happen instead of standing by as life rushes past. My days feel more precious now; the hourglass spills a little faster. The comfort of routine—the soft armchair of staying put, the predictable pulse of the familiar—no longer entices us.  Stability might be cozy, but we crave the wildness of the great wide open. We just don’t have time to wait anymore. None of us do really, though we fool ourselves into thinking that if we just hang on a little longer, happiness will find us like sunlight finds the windowsill.  We whisper: One day, I’ll be promoted. One day, I’ll fall in love. One day, I’ll be happy. One day, enough will be enough.   But “one day” is a mirage on the horizon, always just out of reach. 

 Stepping Into the Story 

So instead, we choose to be the authors, not the audience. Rather than waiting for life’s story to unfold, we pick up the pen and write the next line.  Leave the shelter and set sail, even if the destination is uncertain. Lean into the wind and find the magic of the unknown.

Above all, let’s not wait for nothing to happen.