There was a lonesome Texas highway, a ratty used tire store complete with many signs warning that the owners were armed, and a Dairy Queen. (Have I mentioned that I hate soft serve ice cream?)
I was completely zen, much to my husband's amazement, despite the two hour ordeal. After all, I am ALWAYS stressed out when we are running late.
(Seriously. Later in the trip, there was a group of us and a lot of unavoidable lateness. I was completely and totally stressed out and on edge!)
Here's the thing: we were NOT running late the day of the flat tire. We had time to waste. I checked my planner, and NOTHING time sensitive was on it. We weren't meeting anyone or on a deadline.
That is a rare occasion.
(Okay, it ONLY happened on Day 1 of the vacation. But, hey, the flat tire happened on Day 1.)
My family is so used of me being a time sensitive person - showing up early, getting upset when others show up late (even if I am polite and don't say anything), and living by a schedule - that they were shocked by my calm response.
The thing they missed is that, since I've started carrying my planner everywhere, I'm better. If something happens unexpectedly, I can simply readjust the schedule. If someone shows up late, I can get a couple of tasks accomplished while I wait. I don't forget stuff that is written down, so life goes more smoothly.
My planner makes me calmer, in control, and easier to tolerate.
In the meantime, those of you who are always late need to still love us. Accept that, for us, time is a gift. If you are late, we've given away something that we treasure and can never get back.
Acknowledge that we are waiting, sitting there, feeling neglected, misunderstood, and used if you say 3:15 p.m. and show up at 3:30 p.m.
Understand that our planners keep us sane.
Go ahead and laugh a little. We are not without senses of humor.
But remember to be gentle when we make a date and you get caught in traffic/changing a diaper/talking to your mom on the phone. We need to know that you value us.
Etcetera.
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5 comments:
Apart from the flat tire, this made me smile. I'd rather be 15 minutes early, than even 1 minute late. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but still... Enjoy your vacation. You have your planner, you're fine.
I really, REALLY, hate being late. I can handle it when other people are late but if church starts at 10:30, be there at 10:20. I feel the same way about doctors appointments but they rarely see me at the appointment they set me up with!
I despise being late. If someone says 3:15pm, I am usually there by 3:10pm. I have one friend who is notorious to being late. If he tells me that he will meet me at 3pm, then I can bet almost certainly that he won't get there until 3:30pm. I always schedule this thirty minutes ahead of time as part of my reading or writing time so that the thirty minutes is not wasted. Now on rare occasion, it turns into only twenty minutes late instead of thirty, but I still end up getting something done.
I've always been super time-sensitive, so I truly ide ntify with your post! But when delay is inevitable, it's best to look for God telling you to slow down! Linked up with you at Small Victories -- hope you'll stop by Saved by Grace for a visit!
God bless,
Laurie
http://savedbygracebiblestudy.blogspot.com/
Oh it drives me nuts to be late. i'm a total planner addict too and can totally relate to this. I never thought of myself as time sensitive but I guess I am! Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday linkup. Pinned to our linkup board.
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