Here's The Thing...

I have had many good things happen to me over the course of my life and each time they occur I wait anxiously for the preverbial other shoe to drop. This time is no exception. I am still haunting my email, constantly checking my voice mail and waiting for things to go horribly wrong because let's face it, that Murphy's Law. So far though, it appears as though I am wrong. Hmm. Let's explore that.

Being wrong is a funny thing. It takes immense courage to admit that you've made a mistake and to go back to the offended party(ies) to 'fess up. Most people simply walk away without a second thought of actually trying to resolve things and that's completely their choice. I heartily endorse doing things that are best for you and forgetting about the rest of the world because we are all selfish creatures who only want what's best for ourselves and cannot stand to see others get ahead, whether it be in business or love. The problem with this however is that sooner or later something will happen that will cause you to think again. Unfortunately, once that has occurred it's often too late.

Being able to sit down and openly communicate with others is a task that I am not good at but have tried very hard to change. I recognize when I need time to regroup and completely understand when others ask the same of me. I respect their decision to keep their distance, although that is difficult when you share the same roof. What is confusing however is when they don't come back to discuss things and just leave me hanging and waiting.

I realize that people are busy. One of the things that has been hammered into me repeatedly by different people though is the respect one must show to their peers in terms of time. I cannot expect someone to wait for me if I am running late and don't tell them. It is disrespectful, no matter what my personal feelings for that person are, to expect people to wait for me when I have not communicated my timeline to them. If I let them know that I will be late, then it is up to that person to decide how long they will choose to wait for me. I am in no position to dictate to them how long they should wait, and cannot justifiably be angry if they don't.

All of this should be common sense but the funny thing about that is that it isn't all that common. I am currently engaged in a serious misunderstanding that I do not think will be resolved despite my desire to rectify it. I have offered an olive branch and have been denied, and out of respect I have kept my distance. How long do I wait?