A virtue, indeed

"Said woman take it slow
It'll work itself out fine
All we need is just a little patience"

Guns 'N Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin wrote and singer Axl Rose whined this aptly-named song "Patience". It was a beautifully played acoustic ballad released in 1989. Now, although I am taking the love song completely out of context for this blog post, these lyrics are more than appropriate, and here's why:

The other day I discovered the local Chevy dealer McElveen only about a mile down the road from the apartment and I decided it was time to get an oil change. I just got my last one back in April but I suppose two separate trips from Michigan to the Edge of America will really rack up those miles. Anyhow, I was playing a popular game on my phone while sitting in the waiting room and, before I knew it, CNN had recycled it's stories and I realized I'd been there for over an hour.. I never had to wait this long while getting a simple oil change with a requested, complimentary car wash, not even at the 3rd party service shops. As I tried to kill fat oinkers with flying squawkers using only a slingshot on my smart phone, I witnessed various sales and service representatives and even mechanics passing in and out of the waiting area. After a while, the sales clerk apologized for the extensive wait and informed me that he would go check on the status of my oil change. One cup of coffee and two cups of buttered popcorn later, the same gentleman explained that a communication error had occurred and that they were just starting to work on Henrietta. I sipped through another cup of coffee and one more cup of popcorn before I was approached by a service manager. I heard the good "S" word once more along with a more detailed explanation of the wait and I received a sincere handshake along with the key for my HHR. Now, I've always agreed time is money, for the most part. At risk of contradicting that statement, however, I do believe patience really is a virtue. From start to finish, I rolled out of the parking lot with a smile on my face and the satisfaction of receiving a free oil change and wash after waiting two and a half hours. Not a bad deal if you ask me!