“Wow, when did I become so impatient?”

The other day I was listening to a podcast in my car via my iPhone connected to the Bluetooth enabled in-car entertainment system.

I quite regularly listen to podcasts and audiobooks. It’s great way of filling the time with valuable input.

This particular podcast was very interesting, the interviewer was talking with a woman about some of the struggles and delights in her life. Most people would regard this woman as highly successful and yet by pealing back a few of the layers it was clear that not everything in her life had been plain sailing despite the outward appearance.

The interviewer wrapped up with a helpful end of podcast summary and then is happen – silence.

I looked down at my in-car entertainment system screen to see that the podcast file still had another 3 minutes to run, but the content had finished!

“That’s fine” I thought to myself “I can press the next-track button on my steering-wheel.” So I did, but nothing happened!

This occasionally happens in my car. It’s normally with the podcast application, but also happens with other. My iPhone is quite happily playing, but the controls aren’t working.

I looked back at my screen 2:50.

Like many modern entertainment systems there are different ways of achieving the same thing, so I tried those in the vain attempt that one of them would recognise my desire to move on to the next podcast.

I looked back at my screen 2:40.

I was on the motorway by now and the thought of reaching over for my iPhone flashed through my mind. I knew that if I could just press in the right place on the screen it would take me to the next podcast.

It was about now that I started coming to my senses.

I looked back at my screen 2:35.

Time to start talking to myself:

“What am I thinking? What priority am I putting on these few minutes?

“Why does the silence bother me so much? Another podcast will be along in just a short while, relax and enjoy this precious moment. Look at all of those people desperate to speed past you on this road so that they can get there just a few moments earlier.”

I looked back at my screen 2:33.

“Why would you even think of reaching for your phone? It’s such a dangerous thing to do, imagine if you’d been in an accident just because you wanted to get to the next podcast. Would the risk be worth the reward? Of course not.

“Wow, when did  become so impatient?”

I looked back at my screen 2:31.

I reached over and turned off my in-car entertainment system.