To queue or not to queue.

 Queues are everywhere around us.

And we never want to be in them.

But it takes a person to stand in a queue to properly understand the queue and no this is not about queue management.

There are 3 types of queues, necessary, required and unnecessary.

First let's talk about unnecessary queues because they are most common. Most of the time people queue just because "There already is a queue!". For example, if there is a billing or ticketing counter with a queue next to an adjacent billing counter, most people won't bother asking why the next counter is vacant, they will simply assume that something must be wrong with it. While the adjacent counter is infact vacant because there was no customer to serve to.

Second, there are required queues. These are the queues which are created for proper management. Let's say the adjacent counter was infact vacant because of short staff or unexpected customer flow. Like queues created while boarding a flight. These queues would not be there, if they were not required. They serve no other purpose than to help the management in management.

Last, there are necessary queues. These queues exist not solely for the management purpose but these hold important values for the people in them. If only people were more involved into the experience rather than just jumping the queue. For example, in a queue for a roller-coaster ride the main experience for a person is to enjoy the roller-coaster ride and so he seeks to avoid or jump the queue. But a queue for a museum tour also ensures that people get enough experience time because of slow movement of the queue to properly enjoy the tour.

I got to experience this while worshipping at a local temple. It was a special occasion and so there was a huge crowd, and long queues. While standing in the queue listening to the Bhajans in background, seeing the deity coming towards me very slowly so that I could enjoy the prayer. This got me thinking.

We go to temple, or pass by a temple almost everyday. But we are in a hurry. So we simply go, fodl our hands, bow down our heads may be recite some prayer, touch the feet, have Prasad and return to our routine. But on such special days, when there is long queues we get an opportunity to really visit the temple, really experience what a temple visit was originally meant to be.

A place which is cut off from our outer worries. An abode of peace.

So, next time when you are in a queue ask yourself "To queue or not to queue?".