Saturday, June 21, 2008

Run Lola Run

I am always on time, never early, never late. I don't regard punctuality as one of the cardinal virtues, it certainly isn't up there with donating a kidney or adopting a kitten, but it matters to me.

Perhaps it's the potential embarrassment factor that does it, the realisation of lateness and the sweaty fumbling hurry to be somewhere at the appointed time. The room is already full, the audience attentive, the speaker into their stride. You open the door and a room of faces turns its gaze briefly on your perspiring dishevelled form.

No, I don't do late.

Early is potentially worse, it suggests over expectancy or nervous anticipation of the potential outcome of the meeting. Not good, and potentially fatal.

No, punctuality's the thing.

8 comments:

Sniffy said...

She's fit.

I really hate being late for things, absolutely detest lack of punctuality in people.

garfer said...

Distinctly.

You're a foot tapper.

Sniffy said...

I'm a pacer. I can't stand waiting for people, absolutely hate it.

garfer said...

Get a move a move on then.

The Mistress said...

We were a group of 3 friends.

A was always early.
MJ was always punctual; right on time.
C was always late, late, late.

A and C eventually fell out because of C's lateness.

This comment is going nowhere as I've been into the wine.

However, an example of C's tardiness is just hours before we were set to board a plane to leave the country on vacation, she had not packed. In fact, she had a long list of things she needed for the trip and she spent the hours leading up to our departure in the mall, madly running up and down the aisles with MJ trying to remember to breathe.

I can't live like that.

Nice for those who can, I suppose.

KAZ said...

I saw that film and I'm with you on the punctuality.
I had a relationship like that described by drunken mj - eventually A and I cured C.
People who come late are saying 'My time's more imortant than yours'.

garfer said...

The simple solution to consistently late people is to buy them a T shirt emblazoned with 'Sorry I'm Late' and insist that they wear it at all times.

Peevish McSnark said...

I trend toward a few minutes early, myself. Then, I can spend a few minutes in the car, checking my lipstick and going over my game plan, thus ensuring I don't make a complete arse out of myself.

At this point in my life, I have very few appointments like this, though. And when I have to wait, I'm ashamed to admit it, I'm a very patient waiter. I can always fall into a daydream.