Life in the Queue

What Trevor Noah’s Theme Park Story Taught Me About Slowing Down

I was going through my usual morning routine whilst listening to a podcast, this one featuring two of my favourite podcasters – Trevor Noah was the guest on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast. About halfway in, Trevor told a story that instantly caught my attention partly because it was so simple and partly because it carried a truth I hadn’t considered before.

He described being invited to a theme park as a special guest, with the VIP treatment that meant no queues and priority access to every ride. He and his friends raced from one attraction to the next, packing in every major ride in just a few hours. They expected to leave on a high. Instead they walked away feeling tired, slightly flat, and oddly unsatisfied.

It was only afterwards that they realised why. The moments they’d skipped; standing in line, chatting, hearing the screams from the ride ahead and building up the anticipation were part of what made theme parks so enjoyable in the first place. Without them, the day felt like a checklist rather than an experience.

That observation started me thinking about how often we approach life in the same way. We focus on the headline moments – the promotion, the holiday, the party, the big achievement – and rush to get there as quickly as possible. In doing so, we can end up stripping away the slower, quieter parts that give those high points their meaning.

Those “queue moments” in life are everywhere. They’re in the walk to meet a friend, the morning coffee before work, the casual chats at the school gate, or the time between meetings when nothing much seems to be happening. We don’t usually see them as important, yet they often hold the very connection and texture that makes life feel full.

Listening to Trevor’s story made me think about how much of our culture is designed to skip the wait. We buy faster delivery, choose express checkouts and fill every pause with a scroll through our phones. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with efficiency, but when speed becomes the default we risk missing the moments that allow us to notice, connect and anticipate.

Since that podcast, I’ve been trying something different. When I find myself in a “queue moment” whether literally in a queue at a shop or figuratively in a lull between tasks, I put the phone away, take a breath and look around. Sometimes, I strike up a conversation. Other times, I just notice what’s going on around me. It doesn’t make the ride come faster, but it does make the wait feel like part of the day rather than time lost.

Trevor’s experience was a reminder that the value of an adventure is often found in the build-up not just in the peak itself. The anticipation, the chatter and the stillness before the thrill all matter. When we rush through them, we can end up with more rides… but less of an experience.

Next time you’re in a queue, literal or otherwise, try seeing it as part of the story. Give yourself permission to slow down, notice and be present. You might find that the wait is where much of the joy actually lives.