Admit it. You know you’ve been tempted to leave before. There you are – once again waiting on your habitually late friend for the umpteenth time. Trust me, I know how you feel. Many years ago, I used to be that friend. And, no matter how hard I tried – I just couldn't kick the habit of consistently running late. My family hated it. My friends hated it. I hated it. And, from what I understand, every chronically punctual person hates it. Perpetual lateness seems to be a ubiquitous problem creating conflict and resentment all over the planet. Luckily, I've already had a little friendly intervention.
Recently, one of my best friends and I were reminiscing about the less-than-stellar, on-time performances of my past. One Sunday afternoon, my friend and I had made some plans to go to the movies, and we selected a neighborhood tavern as our convenient meeting place. I was my usual 30 minutes late – and my friend was nowhere to be seen. Keep in mind, this was the age before cell phones so when I asked the bartender if he had seen my friend, the bartender replied: “Yes … Dale was here for awhile and then he left.” What?!? How could he do that to me?!? I was in complete and total shock. Sure enough, Dale had gone to the movies without me and I must say – it was an extraordinarily eye-opening and transformational experience.
Regrettably, I never realized how disrespectful my behavior was to other people. I do now. I guess this would be the moral of my story. Although it's been years since Dale left me high and dry on that fateful Sunday afternoon, we still chuckle about it to this day and we’re still best buddies. More importantly, I'm rarely late for anything anymore. Of course, life happens. There are times when we all get a last minute interruption, or we’re stuck in traffic, or faced with an emergency. For me, however, being late is now the exception and not the rule. Plus, I really like being on-time a whole lot better. I'm sure my friends like it a whole lot better too. Especially my friend, Dale.
Looking To Cure Someone Of Chronic Tardiness? Try Leaving!
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