Have you ever noticed how uncomfortable people are when nothing is going on? The great pianist Rachmaninoff tells of giving a piano recital when he was very young. He began with a Beethoven sonata that had several long rests in it.

During one of those long rests, a motherly lady leaned forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said kindly: “Honey, play us something you know.”

There is an awkwardness in silence, in waiting.

Do you remember your first date? Do you remember those long, painful periods of silence while riding together in the car? We are not very good at handling silence. It’s awkward, confusing. We are not very good at waiting.

A man was in a restaurant. A waiter was passing by. “Excuse me,” said the man, “but how long have you been working here?”

“About a year,” replied t…