I'm not very good at explaining those really hardcore details, but every time the chain gets congested I just stare at the mempool in a daze: your transaction is basically waiting in line, miners/validators will prioritize packing the ones that pay the most tips, and the rest can only sit in the pool longer and longer... If you're lucky, it gets included in the next block; if you're unlucky, you get stuck thinking you clicked the wrong option. The most frustrating part is the psychological torment of semi-confirmations that may or may not confirm — cancel it, and it’s not canceled; don’t cancel it, and it’s still uncertain.

Recently, Meme and celebrity shoutouts have caused another wave of attention shifts, making on-chain congestion more likely to suddenly burst. Basically, newcomers rush in en masse, and in the end, you end up in line as the “last one to go.” I’m now quite conservative: if it’s urgent, I’ll pay more fees; if not, I’ll wait. Anyway, I watch the excitement, and I wait during the quiet times.