Patience is Key

Sometimes running at the right time can win a race, as opposed to simply running fast. Every night after my weekly scout meeting during middle and high school, all of the kids would gather together and play some kind of team game. One of the favorite post-meeting activities was called "the fox and the hound." Every week, we would play this game and then talk about the results for the rest of the week at school, waiting for our next opportunity to play.

The rules of the game were simple, and the darkened sky made the game even more exciting. Two opposing teams were tasked with separate simple tasks. The fox team was instructed to enter into the woods and find a suitable hiding place, while the hound team turned their backs and waited for two minutes. Once the two minutes were up, the hounds were allowed to turn back around and begin searching for the foxes. Near the edge of the property, were the hounds began their two minute counting, was a long wooden fence. Winning the game was relatively simple. The hounds would win by catching and tagging as many foxes as possible. On the other hand, the foxes could wind the game by making a run for it and touching the fence before being tagged.

Two clear methods of winning became obvious as I began to began to develop my strategy as a fox. Firstly, I could simply try to utilize my speed and sprint at the fence immediately as I saw an opening. This tended to be my favorite method at first, as action was imminent and I enjoyed the chase. The older scouts quickly closed off my escape routes, however, and I was often caught close to the fence without touching it.

The second method required a lot more self discipline. Waiting in hiding for as long as possible was a difficult task as a squirmy teenager. However, my friends and I realized that if we were willing to wait longer than the foxes, then they would eventually come after us and leave the fence less guarded. As soon as a fox would walk past our hiding spot, we would wait a few seconds, and then book it out of the trees. The guard behind us had little chance of catching us, and the few guards remaining at the fence could be avoided with ease. Utilizing this technique, we eventually became unstoppable foxes. From this I learned that patience is key, and acting when the moment is right can reap the largest benefits.

Also, as a hound, I learned a very similar lesson. Instead of chasing into the woods searching blindly for the foxes or waiting for them at the fence, we began to use decoys to win the game. This trick required patience as well, as one hound would charge into the woods while the other would hide along the path and wait for the fleeing fox to fall into the trap. Both of these techniques taught me the value of patience, even when it seems like less fun. In life, patience also plays a key role in determining success. "Striking when the iron is hot" is a common phrase used to indicate that acting precisely when a situation requires it and not acting before or after. Patience can lead to better study habits, increased enjoyment, during important events, and even reduced stress. Patience allows us to evaluate the situation around us and move forward in a more logical, thought-out manner.

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