In a drive-thru world, slower pace offers surprising rewards

While accounts differ as to who invented the drive-thru restaurant, most agree that it occurred in the 1940s.

The idea was simple: Create an easy way to serve people food and other items so that they didn’t have to get out of their vehicles. It seemed like a stroke of genius. And with the proliferation of drive-thru restaurants of all sorts, it was quite an innovative idea indeed.

When drive-thrus started, humans could have been a little more patient and maybe less prone to instant gratification. Back in the day, a meal of your choice would be prepared and delivered to your vehicle in a mere 20 minutes. Can you imagine the bedlam that would ensue in having to wait 20 minutes today?

What has become of the virtue of patience and the practice of delayed gratification? Drive-thrus may serve as an excellent example of the struggles with these concepts. Consider the quickness in getting a meal, on average, in many drive-thrus. It’s pretty amazing to really think about, isn’t it?

You may argue that faster is better. You may be right. But what about the next stop? How fast and immediate should that be? Then what about after that? What impact might that rapid pace have on your health and those around you, including strangers?

For many reasons, there appears to be a growing intolerance around waiting. Sometimes delays are beneficial. Have you ever experienced that? Let’s say you’re at a supermarket and there’s only one line open and the lone cashier seems unusually slow. Maybe you get immediately frustrated. But because of that delay, someone walks by who you recognize fondly from childhood. You learn that they have moved into your area. Suddenly, your frustration turns to delight and excitement.

If you breathe and relax in circumstances that challenge your patience, you may discover unexpected gifts and pleasant opportunities.