OK, you know, I really don't think of myself as an old hag, coot, codger, whatever, but I'm certainly old enough to notice an irritating trend. Today the topic is Tardiness.
When I was a kid (in the '60's), we lived in the suburbs of Buffalo and my dad worked at Western Electric. Mom was a nurse and I think she worked nights because I have no recollection of a daycare. After my brother was born (and started sucking up all the attention, the little bastard), my mother's cancer reappeared and I mostly remember her around the house or in the hospital. We had some really interesting sitters then, but I digress.
Anyway, somewhere in there is when I think the whole concept of time really jelled. I mean, sure I learned how to read a clock (analog, thank you) and all that. But was it around then - elementary school, which had a fixed start, lunch and stop time that I got so anal about timeliness? It's not rocket science, really:
1. If you say you'll be there at x:00, then be there.
2. If you're running late, call.
I've been noticing that since this decade began, nobody is on time for anything. Doctor's appointments, business meetings, holiday parties, performances, nothing. (And lets not even go there with the cable company.)
I'm finding that if I continue on the path of timeliness, I spend an enormous amount of time waiting for whomever it is I'm supposed to be seeing. So, I get pissed. Then I start to add five, ten, fifteen minutes on to my own arrival time so I don't have to wait nearly so long. Then one thing pushes back any other thing I might have to do later that day. Then another. Then another. And so on.
This isn't a rant, I just don't get it. How did this start, and why did we as a society allow it to continue? Feel free to talk amongst yourselves...
No comments:
Post a Comment