I’m Late
I am not one of those people who are perpetually late. I just don’t like to be early.
Being early is something that was valued in my family when I was growing up. If we were going to my aunt and uncles for Christmas eve, we were expected to be ready and sitting in the living room (sans television and before cell phones) a good fifteen minutes before we needed to leave. This annoyed me.
I have carried that annoyance with me into adulthood, and as a rebellious soul, I now refuse to get ready early.
Just this morning, I had arranged to meet a friend for a swim. I accidentally got my suit on early, and while I could have left to meet her, but instead I picked fruit. A lot of fruit. I didn’t want to leave it in the sun, so I found a place to stash it. I checked to see if it was time to go and….I was late.
This happens to me a lot. My friend was there waiting (impatiently) for me, and I had an epiphany. What would have happened if I had gotten there early? Maybe she would have been there, and we could have started our swim a bit early. Maybe she wouldn’t have been there, but I could have watched for whales in the ocean or chatted with one of the other people at the park, or simply enjoyed the sunshine.
It’s still a newish year and newish decade. I’m resolving to think about my choices – to leave at the last minute, and risk running late or to leave on time and risk having time for whale watching, new friends and sunshine. Not too hard of a decision to make!
