Arizona isn't the only place in America that's home to a great number of retirees.

We have our share in Spokane.

But Phoenix has more than most cities. So I found myself thinking about what their presence in significant numbers might teach a person who is not retirement age?

I had that thought while standing behind four elderly people in a Phoenix Trader Joe's. They were blocking my access to the packaged salads. And the amount of time they spent standing there could only be described in geologic terms.

It was a long, long time. And I'm someone who, thanks to years spent with my late parents in Spokane, prides himself on being sensitive to the needs and pace of the older generation.

So I thought the thing living in Phoenix might teach a person is the value of patience.

What do you think the answer might be for living in Spokane?