Patience and Persistence

I take a 7-mile walk every week along a coastal trail.  This 7-mile trail descends and rises approximately 800 feet in elevation, passes through parks, cliffs, homes, and a golf course.  On the trail one can oversee the Catalina Island across the Pacific Ocean, with ships cursing up and down the coast, and the occasional spotting of marine animals.

For me it is a treat where I can leave worries behind and simply enjoy the ocean breezes, beautiful sceneries, and fresh air.  It's also a time when my mind wonders, sorts, and generates new ideas.

On the trail there are the occasional visitors as well as the regulars.  We often exchange a friendly "hi" and smile as we pass by each other.  It just seems such a natural thing to do.  From time to time, there is a shy one that would, at first, avoid any eye contact.  However, upon being greeted with a warm "hi" and smile, s/he would respond in kine as well.  Except one.

There is one older Chinese man in his early 70s.  He never responded, always looked stern and, if I'm not imagining, even a bit judgmental.  Somehow, instead of being intimidated by his demeanors, I found it amusing and determined to crack this nut...as I figured I can count on seeing him on the trail most of the time I'm on it, I'm not about to pretend forever that we do not exist in the same space whenever we cross path.

So I made a point of saying hi and smile at him every single time I saw him.  For months there was no reaction, always this stern, expressionless face.  Lately, I noticed that there was this reluctant, silent grunt which seemed like an attempt to make a sound.  Yesterday, as I passed by him on my morning walk, he actually waved and faintly smiled at me first.  I thought, "wow, I finally saw his soft side."  It gave me a gratification that is hard to explain...I have to admit that I savored and appreciated this gesture more than the many dozens of other greetings I've received on the trail.

This experience lets me reflect on patience and persistence.  In the world where instant gratification is expected, persistence is more like the road less traveled.  Even for someone like me who grew up with traditional Chinese teachings of patience and persistence, it is not hard to loose sight of it while our world is saturated with the culture of instant gratification.  It also reminds me of a Chinese saying, "one judges of a horse's worth by long-distance rides; one judges of a person's character by long association with him/her."  In time, with patience and persistence, the goodness will prevail.