Being
late for an appointment or a date can seem like a small thing that
really doesn't matter, but it communicates volumes, whether we mean it
to or not. Being kept waiting is an experience that almost no one
enjoys, because at best, it wastes
their time, and at worst, it indicates a lack of regard. It's as if
we're saying that our time is more important than their time, so we
don't need to honor them by showing up when we said we would. When we
are running late, it means a lot if we call and let the person know,
especially if it's going to be more than ten minutes. However, if we
are chronically late, it may take more than a phone call to properly
address the issue.
If it's become a habit of ours not to be on
time, we may want to look inside ourselves and see what's going on.
It's easy enough to make excuses about our behavior, or to project
responsibility on the other person, perceiving them to be uptight if
they are irritated by our tardiness. What's more difficult, and more
meaningful, is looking at ourselves and asking why it is that we
always, or often, show up late. Sometimes this happens out of a lack of
self-regard, as if we aren't really important anyway, so why will
anyone care if we're late, or don't show up at all. Chronic lateness
can also stem from being disorganized, or simply trying to do too much
in one day. Another possible reason for being late to a particular
appointment, or date, is that we don't really want to be there. We
communicate our disinterest or boredom by not showing up on time.
Whatever
our reasons, if we raise them to the conscious level, we have an
opportunity to live a more conscious life. As we begin to understand
the deeper reasons behind our inability to show up on time, we have the
option to communicate clearly and consciously about how we really feel,
rather than communicating unconsciously by being late.