II Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Fashionably Late???

Does such a thing even exist?

A friend of mine made a statement to me a couple of weeks ago that has had me thinking ever since. She said, "Our generation is so selfish. We are late to everything and we always have an excuse. It's downright rude to always make people wait on you--as if their time isn't as valuable as yours."

Wow!

What's more...I am the QUEEN of late. If I am only 5 minutes late..I figure I've done good. If I am there at the time something is starting...that's PERFECT but if I am there 5 minutes ahead of starting time...I am EARLY! Any more than 5 minutes ahead of time and I figure I am just downright WASTING time now.

I'm beginning to think there is something wrong with that kind of thinking though. For one, I HATE it that everyone always feels like they have to tell me something starts half an hour before it really does--so I'll actually get there on time. And, most of my friends know, If I say I'll be somewhere at 10---they have at least until 10:15 before they can really expect me. How embarrasing.

I will say...one thing we are never late for is school. I don't know why I do so good with that...but my kids have never, not once, been late for school. I guess I just do SO much preparing ahead of time (setting out clothes, making lunches, packing up backpacks) that when it comes time to get out the door...everything is already waiting on me.
If only I could be more like that for everything else!

So I am just wondering...what are ya'll's thoughts on this? Is it okay to be 5 or 10 minutes late here and there? How early is too early? If something starts at 7:00, and you have a 20 minute drive to get there..what time do you plan to leave your house? (BTW, I would plan to leave at 6:35 and probably actually leave at 6:45)

What do ya'll think of your friends who are late?
rude? selfish? understandable? thoughtless? inconsiderate? No big deal?

How often are you late?
10% of the time? 25% of the time? 50% of the time? 75% of the time? All the time?

4 comments:

Kate said...

Oh girl - you're asking the queen of being late! I don't know what it is; I just refuse to be on time. I know it's rude and it irritates the heck out of people, but it is my vice. If there's a party starting at 7, I'll probably leave around 7. i hate being the 1st on in the door. And in my family, the invte may say 3:00, but no one gets there until 4 or 5. The only thing I have ever been on time for is my wedding (good thing too!). I was actually an hour early, and got there well before my always-prompt DH.

KC said...

I hate being late! I try to get where I need to be a little early, or right on time. My husband hates being late, and refuses to let me make us late...so we are usually on time, unless something crazy happens (like when you have babies and are walking out the door and suddenly realize you have to change a diaper...we were late for church a lot when our boys were babies..but that is unavoidable).

Ok Girlfriend, don't take this the wrong way.....but, I can't stand it when people are ALWAYS late for no good reason!...probably because of all the cooking shows I do. My host gets upset when her friends aren't there and it is time to start, and I get upset because I showed up 15-30 minutes early, so everything would be ready to start on time. Then when they are all 15-30 minutes late, I feel like I am then in a rush to get everything cooked/done to get everyone out of my hosts home at a timely manner....I DO think it is rude (like a slap in the face, telling me and the host that our time isn't important), unless something unexpected happened or there was bad traffic (that happens a lot around here).

Logzie said...

Oh I have mixed feelings about this subject! I am always late but really never more than 15 minutes but usually around 5-7 minutes. I don't do it on purpose...it just happens...I underestimate time horribly but on the flip side, I can't stand to be anywhere early (like you) as I see that as a waste of time and I really could have used that time for something. I do see how my being late DOES waste the person waiting on me's time and I try EXTRA super hard to be ontime when someone is waiting but things like church or a party where it starts regardless of weather I am there on time or not are my worst! I got much better after having kids b/c it forced me to prepare but it makes me DARN MAD when I prepare like crazy and put all the extra effort out there to be on time and alas I'm still late. I tend to give up then. But I tell ya, throwing those kiddos in the mix really screws things up! Like there might be a diaper blowout right before I need to leave or a temper tantrum that must be dealt with or the such. Those always creep in there too. I have no answers for you on this one...I need help too!

I just figure if I keep trying then eventually I will get it. My ideal time would be to be somewhere 5 minutes early...no more...no less.

MLM said...

You crack me up. I wonder if lateness is genetic? My gma is super late, my mom is getting there, and now my husband thinks I've got the bug too. He's started telling me when we need to leave and then I find out later that he "upped" the time so we wouldn't be late, knowing I'd run over his deadline. I hate that. Being late I mean. It also stresses me out. I'd rather leave much too early and take my time getting there than driving like a madwoman (unsafe for all involved) and irritated at everyone who gets in my way. HOOOOOOONNNNKKKKKK!