The digital age and the vanishing virtues of patience, delayed gratification, and disappointment

How many of us would give thanks for having to wait a little to get something or to not always being able to get everything we want right away?

No, it's not a trick question.  It's a matter of shifting perspective.  For example, would you want to eat a piece of fruit that hadn't ripened?  Trust me, it doesn't taste the same.  It takes time for fruit to become ripe.  It's just part of a natural cycle.  Everything has its season and its time of life.  Waiting for that time, preparing for it, even working for it, can give a sense of purpose and belonging.  It also greatly enhances our appreciation for when something does become ripe in our life.  Imagine you could speed up the process by importing fruit from another hemisphere, using greenhouse orchards, or by some form of genetic modification.  Do you still have the same eager anticipation?  Does the increased availability make the fruit as exciting? Are you as grateful for it?