Too late
It is time that being on time became fashionable again. While it is debatable whether “fashionably late” caught on here as opposed to persons being just plain late, tardiness should be reined in.
Being late has become a way of life and it seems that it is not going to get better anytime soon. Living in a ‘laid-back’ Caribbean environment should not make persons tardy about assignments, but the fact is they are.
Professionals especially, should strive to be on time. As the saying goes, “the early bird catches the worm”. Events here such as press conferences, meetings, and other engagements rarely start at the scheduled time. And if you are a busy person and have to meet a deadline, to say, file a story, this upsets your plans.
Ever try to work with someone who is constantly late? Being on time shows professionalism and eagerness. But no one is perfect and it is okay if you are late once in a while as sometimes too you are held up by things beyond your control.
But let’s face it, lateness will always be here. And so too, will the excuses, which range from the ordinary to the hilarious. Recently we read an article about the ten craziest excuses for being late.
Two examples were: “I just wasn’t ‘feeling it’ this morning,” and “A prostitute climbed into my car at a stoplight, and I was afraid my wife would see her and think I was messing around… so I got out of the car”.
And, according to the article, males are less prone to tardiness and are also less likely to lie about why they’re late. Wonder who wrote the article?
But what about us here? Well, excuses range from the weather, transportation problems, personal problems and “I forgot my phone’.
But what does constantly being late says about a person? For one, they are disorganized. And being late makes it seem that you are not reliable, dependable or even honest.
A self-confessed latecomer blamed “little things” for her lateness. She claims that she is always busy.
A good quote we read was “being late says a lot about you and none of it’s good”.
We should all strive to be on time. Especially for appointments that are likely to have other persons waiting. Because being late is disrespectful.
Yes, we’ve all heard the stories about how being late saved someone’s life. But that’s one in a million.
Wouldn’t it be nice for someone to say “Fashionably late…what’s that?”
(thescene@stabroeknews.com)
