I need your help, my three faithfuls.
I have got to–got to–stop running late all the time.
I have had places to be and people to see and a valid driver’s license for over twenty years. And yet two decades have not taught me that I should allow myself an extra–oh, I don’t know, two minutes maybe?–for unexpected incedentals, like–oh, I don’t know–driving to the wrong church building for a fireside in which you and your two daughters are scheduled to perform.
We weren’t exactly late tonight, but we weren’t early enough to manage the catastrophe of miscommunication that landed us in an empty chapel five miles away from where everyone else was waiting expectantly. Arriving an extra two (or twenty) minutes early might have been a good idea. Would have saved a lot of embarrassment, maybe even a few tears. (Not mine. My daughter’s. Worse, much worse. Horrible, even.)
Help me, friends. For the love of all that’s goodness and promptness, please help me. I know many of you reading this get to things on time. I know it’s only a matter of habit and a little discipline. I know running late is a mark of carelessness. Selfishness, even. I know I should be better than that. I know. I know.
But it’s like a dog to vomit: I always think I have just a few more minutes to finish up just a few more things before I need to leave. Really important things, like putting the laundry away or defrosting the chicken for dinner or checking to see if you’ve commented on my blog. Yeah, I’m a pretty impressively busy woman. Much busier than all those people who arrive on time, for sure.
I need to start considering everywhere I go to be a Very Important Date. Church stuff, school stuff, social stuff. When I know I have to be somewhere on time–like the airport–I get there on time. I’m obviously capable of it. I just need to apply that same standard to everything else. I will consider writing this admission my First Step To Change. Is there a twelve-step program out there for people like me? Is it expensive? If yes (and no), then sign me up. I’ll be there. On time.
Maybe.
I’d say I’ll join the 12-step program with you, but as evidenced by my inability to get to church even remotely on time…every Sunday….or anything else for that matter. I’ll just have to get the cliff notes from you.
You should join a 12 step program…and show up late…
I used to be early/on time everywhere, and then I had a third and then a fourth kid. I used to say to my husband, “Why can’t my brother’s family get anywhere on time?” They only have one (and then two) more than we do and the older ones get themselves ready. It just didn’t add up……and now we are late more often than I’d like. We are still early for church (because of my husband), but I’m running late all the time during the day. I’d blame it on my newly potty-trained son or my freshly crawling into dirty stuff baby, but it’s really me not wanting to sit around waiting for other people once we get there or fighting with the school traffic…. Selfishness is right. I heard a talk at some point that compared being late with stealing someone else’s time. If you have ever been the one waiting, you know what that means. It is annoying to expect someone to show up at a certain time and they don’t.
Sorry that turned into a blog post of it’s own….. My cell phone has great alarms too. =)
If it weren’t for my husband and my phone alarm, I would still be late for everything! When my husband and I have to be somewhere together (like church every Sunday) he doesn’t care if I don’t have mascara on both eyes. He’s good about dragging me out the door, and yes I have gone to church before with mascara only on one eye, it’s a really weird feeling.
For cases where I don’t have the luxury of having someone babysit me, I use my phone. I have one alarm that I will set for the time I need to leave the house. I’ve learned to trust that alarm, stop whatever I’m doing and just go. This has been a life saver, especially for getting to school/work on time.