Waiting has forever been a challenge for me. The immediate corollary is impatience.  In business I excused the irritability arising from having to wait for information from another lawyer by arguing the urgency to clarify matters for my client. Very often my restlessness was well founded. The matter had been overlooked by the other firm or “fallen through the cracks”. As a result I smugly dismissed the prior recommendations to give the matter time or hold your horses. Probably things would have eventually worked out just fine; but the unhesitant pursuit of the affair unquestionably kept things moving.

Now – spared the duties of a law practice – waiting assumes a far more philosophic bent.  Primarily the excitability and peevishness is tainted by the rhetorical question, “What’s the hurry?” And most often there is no hurry. It is however an unadorned admission requiring clever reasoning to convince oneself of its truth. Historically it was far more expedient to rely upon one’s visceral reactions instead to achieve a meaningful address of the conundrum. The utility of the enterprise was simply left in the dust.

But today – as I waited for news from my automobile dealership regarding the repair of my car – the moments and hours were cast in a shadow of irascibility and discontent. Certainly the “loaner” I had been given by the dealership two days ago would suffice adequately for any vehicular mobility I might require. The admitted truth is that, not having my own automobile, I am less likely to travel except for groceries or medical appointments. Foreseeably I might begin to regard an automobile merely as a device rather than a mobile drawing room or adult toy. What disturbed me was the prospect that electric cars, because of their novelty, are presently unfamiliar territory. The dealership reported late today that they had been in touch with GM – never a completely pacifying detail. Nor was it helpful that, during preliminary investigation of the matter, I had uncovered on the internet pages of reports from others concerning the identical issue, containing similar referrals to the manufacturer. In at least one case, the defect had lingered unresolved for months; and, naturally, a law suit ensued. There was other disheartening information of the same nature.

Competing with this frustration is the knowledge that reputable manufacturers and their dealers are heavily invested in client satisfaction. So I wait. The ambiguity of the affair – that is, not knowing what the problem is – remains unsettling.  Should you care to know, the initial dashboard alert of the problem was “Service High Voltage System”.  To this was added the equally bewildering “Maximum charge is limited to 27%”. The Cadillac APP diagnosed “Lithium-ion Battery Schedule Service Now” to which was added, “Provides the electricity needed to propel your vehicle. Systems Scanned: VIC, High Voltage Battery; Battery Conditioning System Schedule Service Now”. And finally, “System Status: Issue detected. Please schedule service now. What it Does: Consists of both a heating and a cooling system that work together to maintain the correct temperature range for you vehicle’s high-voltage battery. It also maintains proper refrigerant pressure and temperature.” In all, an educational summary of the Lithium-ion Battery; but not a soporific in spite of its tedious complexity. And the unqualified direction to schedule service now (not merely as soon as possible) was inescapable.