When I think of queue (which is not very often) I think of going to the bank with my dad as a child. In Australia there were ‘form queue here’ signs and in other similar places. I learned quickly that queue meant waiting; something that is hard for a young child to do.

My dad has always waited in queues without complaining. He’s often the last to get off a plane. When we went to an amusement park as children, he’d wait in line for 1-3 hours while we went and did other things. He has patience that I admire and have sometimes, but not always.

Queue is also what I think of when I’m listening to horrible on hold music on the phone while waiting for a foreign customer support worker to be able to sort of answer my question. I kind of like the systems that tell you how many minutes your wait is expected to be, but it’s also a little depressing.

I also think about the long line of people waiting to appear before the throne of God to be judged. While my view on this has shifted over the years, I still have an image of billions of people nervously waiting in a line before getting up to a throne, sorta like in Bill and Ted’s #2 when they talk to God.

HARB HARB

Lines are a sign that people want something. Unemployment and its recent growth have reminded me of that. Also a short commute and not having to wait to get to work which is nice…


Wife’s version