Tico Patience. HURRY UP, I WANT IT NOW!

Tico Patience 

HURRY UP, I WANT  IT NOW!

This is my fourth trip to Costa Rica. I have been here for 17 days so far this trip, nine of those days without Rob. While the loneliness and isolation I experience in the evenings and weekends is unsettling, there are many good things about this trip. One of these is the patience and manners of these lovely Costa Rican people (Ticos).

Traffic is HORRIBLE, here. Cars, buses, motorcycles, and bicycles weave in and out with no attention to driving rules such as the lines in the road or not passing on the right. I find myself getting upset with these drivers, after squealing and prying open my eyes, certain that my driver is going to hit their vehicles. Somehow it all works, though. I observe that the drivers seem to be patient. If someone moves out ahead of them, they acquiesce and then continue on their way when all is clear. Four cars may approach an intersection. All stop and with the nod of a head, they signal who will go first. Pedestrians begin to move out into the road when oncoming traffic is approaching and that traffic will slow down for them. No angry honking of horns, no cussing or making obscene gestures. Oh, a driver may honk his car horn, but only lightly to signal to the other drivers that he is moving out. I'm not advocating that the rest of the world drive this way (USA especially) but Tico patience is admirable.

This cultural patience is found in other places, too. In all my time at Colegio Metodista, teaching chorus classes and participating in school events, I have never seen anyone in a hurry. Yet, this is one of the top private schools in the country, academically.  How do they do it? The gentility of staff and students alike demonstrates a lesson many of us could learn. Costa Ricans greet everyone in the room when they enter it, often with a kiss on the cheek. They say good-bye to everyone in the room when they leave. The students stand by their desks, after entering my classroom, until I sit or tell them to be seated. I've attended two morning coffees and there was no rush. The food was delicious and elegantly prepared and people seemed to genuinely enjoy taking the time to socialize. I did not see ONE PERSON PULL OUT AN iPHONE during the entire hour of both coffees! People and relationships matter the most--what a pleasant atmosphere.

I'm afraid that in the USA, we would be checking our watches, our phones, and hurrying through such social events to get to our next event, only to check that off our list and head to the next thing. As for me, I am now inspired be more patient, courteous, mannered, and interested in people. If the greatest commandments are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and to love people as ourselves, this will be a step in the right direction.