In several of the old romantic novels I used to love, the heroine (I think they now call it the protagonist) was named Patience. I used to think that was a romantic name for a girl. I could envision her mother calling to her, "Come here, Patience, I have something for you." Somewhere along the way, the appeal of that name has left me. Maybe it is because the characteristic that the name implies has also left me.

I can be patient for some things. I still am waiting for my ship to come in and I can be patient for that. Maybe it is because I know the ship hasn't even set out to sea yet. It's not possible for something to come in that hasn't even left yet.

When I was a child I was impatient to become the next year older, or to reach the next plateau of age. I am not at all impatient for that type of time to pass now. In fact it passes all too quickly. I am not even eager for big events that are in the future. In fact they seem to come so quickly that I am not really ready when the time does come.

The term, "I can't wait until," that our great-granddaughter uses so often seldom passes my lips. Oh, I might have a similar thought about when it might rain, or when the sun might shine again, but usually I am content to bide my time.

What makes me impatient however is trying to keep up with every new change that comes in the world of electronics. I just get adjusted to my computer and feel very competent as I whiz through writing my columns, sending them in through space to the newspaper office and storing them in an electronic file. Nothing to it! But then there comes an improved program which makes my stuff obsolete. I don't want to have to learn a new system, but I must if I keep up with the world.

I had a record player when I was in high school. It set right next to my bed and I could put on a 78 rpm record and lie on my bed listening to Bing Crosby for three minutes or so until the song was finished. Then I had to move the needle back to the beginning to hear it again, or change the record.

Soon I got an adjustment for the machine so that I could also play 45 rpm records. That adjustment had to be manually placed each time I used it. All of this seemed like a big advantage over the Edison record player we had at the farm that had to be wound up.

Now I have a stereo that can have three long-playing CDs loaded on it at once. I can set it to repeat indefinitely. But the trouble is I have to stop and figure out how to use it each time I try to play it. The tiny black letters under the controls can't be read without a flashlight. That makes me impatient.

I guess I would be giving away my ignorance if I said I have never even held an Ipod and am not quite sure what it is supposed to do for me. My cell phone has all sorts of programs on it that I haven't began to investigate. All I want is to be able to call someone if I have trouble on the road.

I had no problem learning to use the microwave, and would be very impatient if I didn't have one.

The dishwasher was also easy to learn.

I endure learning new things when they help me be lazy. But I am impatient until I master the new gadget. Just let me enjoy what I know for a while.