Have you ever waited for someone or something until you just didn't think you could wait anymore? Whether we are waiting for a letter, waiting for a repairman to arrive, or we are the repairman waiting to be paid, waiting gets to us. Waiting is a miserable experience. If we are waiting for a phone call, we pace the floor, wring our hands, and end up taking our frustrations out on the phone itself: "Ring, you stupid phone!" The more important the thing we are waiting for, and the longer we have to wait, the worse it gets.

Parents often have the miserable job of waiting up on a weekend night for a child to come home. The agreed upon hour arrives, but the child doesn't. No need to worry, I'm sure she will be here soon. After a few more ticks of the clock, the imagination kicks in. For some …