Oct 18 2002
Love/hate: Being on time
Love/hate for Friday, October 18, 2002
Being on time
Much important than today’s love/hate is that today is Jed the wonder dog’s birthday! Not that she is allowed to get any older, since we want her around forever. I have never met another dog like her: not just cute as a button, but smart, lovable, and impeccably behaved at all times, much better than the average human being. No wonder she is my brother’s best friend!
Now back to your regularly scheduled program.
I have already admitted to the horrible truth of being a morning person, so it probably won’t appall you much further to learn that I love to be on time, too. I am always on time unless circumstances over which I have no control (earthquakes; road works; anything to do with my mother) detain me (and you can imagine that I don’t respond well to delay, being both a control freak and terminally impatient at the best of times).
Either that, or early, which is how I end up killing two hours in the Red Carpet Lounge whenever I fly anywhere. But that does give me time to consume the essential pre-flight drugs and alcohol. And I’d rather have that than be running to the gate because I’m late and the flight is boarding. There are far better reasons for sweating and heart-pounding than getting to the airport late and reaping the unpleasant consequences. So despite my fear and loathing of boredom, I’d rather be on time or early.
I think it’s rude to be late when meeting a friend or keeping an appointment. It suggests that your time is more valuable than the other person’s, and they can just wait for you to show up when you’re good and ready. Even at work, I like to get in a few minutes before I’m due to start, so I can get spring water and a cup of green tea and get settled before the phone starts ringing. I know they say “Better late than never”, but I think, “Better to never be late.”
5 Responses to “Love/hate: Being on time”
I am the same. It drives my nuts when people are late. And some of my friends are always inncessantly late. Not just by a little bit but by a lot. If they werent friends I would kill them. Drives me up the wall.
End rant.
God yes. Though I’m NOT a morning person, I am able to force myself to get up at an insanely early hour.
I grow so weary of perpetually late people. I’m married to one. Alas, I like to think all of his positive traits overshadow his constant tardiness. But it does drive me positively mad at times.
I agree with you wholeheartedly, and I come from a family of terminally late people. It drives me up the freaking wall!!! And you’re right, it makes me feel like they think they’re more important than I am when I have to wait more than 5 minutes.
Happy belated birthday to Jed! May she have many, many more.
I’m on time to almost everything – except staff meetings. I abhor them, and it shows. At the last one, I had to sit on the floor because I was so late there were no chairs left. 🙂
My mother is terminally late. If she says she’ll be here at 2, she’s here at 2:30. It used to drive me absolutely apeshit, but you know what? With every year, I become more and more like her.
Brian and I just can’t get out of the house on time. It seems like we’re always 15 minutes late, to everything.
Maybe it’s because we’re both self-employed and time just isn’t as big of an issue as it used to be.