BEING LATE IS NOT TRENDY
Something happened the other day and it set me thinking.
I received a call from our Corporate office and the lady asked me if I could send her a copy of my Emirates ID as it was needed by the bank. As I was busy at the time and not sure if I had a copy of the ID in my mail , I immediately mailed a Senior Administrative manager in the school I have my office in and simultaneously another lady who helps me with secretarial work and asked them if they had a copy of the same and if they did , could they please forward it to the lady in the Head office .
That done, I suddenly realised that I could have, just as easily, scanned the ID with my phone and sent it through myself without bothering anyone. So that is exactly what I did. All this within about five minutes of receiving the request.
In the span of a few minutes all three of us had duplicated the same task!
I gave this example, as I believe, like me, there are many in this world who when given a task to complete, do so at the earliest, as they value time- theirs and everyone else’s
Time shows dependability and responsibility and is a character trait people should strive to cultivate.
Yes, time is a precious commodity but is sadly underestimated currently. The best proverb on time is definitely “Time and tide wait for no one.”
I have known people over the years who have been at both ends of the spectrum. Some who are fastidious about time, are never late and never keep anyone waiting – punctuality being their forte. There are others who can never be on time- they procrastinate and feel no sense of remorse about never being punctual.
Let me tell you about a few people, some whose names I will take and some that I will not so as not to embarrass them.
My earliest memory is of my mother who was never late for work , for church and for anything for that matter – I probably picked up that habit from her and I always thank her for instilling in me unknowingly, the value of time.
In the cathedral in Allahabad, when I was growing up, there was an extremely strict parish priest called Fr Alva. When young parishioners arrived late and tried to slip into the pews at the rear of the church , he would make an example of them, stop the mass midway , and order them to come and sit in the front. It had the desirable effect – there were very few late comers. I guess if they did arrive late, they stayed outside rather that risk the wrath of the old priest!
Growing up I somehow felt that I was expected to be home by nine pm and so dot on the stroke of nine I was usually home! No one had told me to be home at that time but wherever I was, the self-imposed deadline beckoned me.
When I moved to teach in Pune, I worked under a gentleman called Derek Beaman who oversaw the large Boarding establishment.
Where there are boarders, there is a time schedule – even today, 20 years after leaving the school I remember the times for the rising bell, the various meals, studies etc – this includes weekend timings which varied!
If there was anyone who was fastidious about time it was him. At that time, we felt he was obsessed with hours, minutes and seconds and rather finicky too. The Masters on Duty were tasked with running the activities for the day and ensuring the bell was rung on time. Often out of frustration, tiredness , boredom or just plain laziness we would ask the Prefect to ring the bell a few minutes early – usually for the boarders to break from study and go for a meal or to end evening or night study .
Now let me tell you why that mattered so much to Mr Beaman. He led a very structured life so whether it was waking on the Race course tracks, , eating , bathing , walking his dog ,listening to the BBC news or just marking exercise books – he did everything according to a schedule and God forbid if any one spoilt the same by having the bell rung early ! I must add that the BBC was, metaphorically speaking, his life and his radio was probably only tuned to that channel so he had memorized the programme timings
When the bell was rung early, Mr Beaman would know it instantly as his favourite radio programme had ben interrupted . He would then come charging down from his residence which was in one of the oldest buildings on the campus and literally chew up the irresponsible soul! He believed that there was a big difference between 7.28 pm and 7. 30 pm and he was right. We all became so conditioned by his behaviour that soon everyone kept staring at their watch and the clock on the wall and ringing the bell on the dot!
This was an old school for those not from Bishops, let me tell you that it had quite a large campus comprising different buildings and in some of these buildings there were old weather beaten clocks which needed to be wound every twenty-four hours.
No clues for guessing who oversaw winding of the clocks – Yes Mr Beaman. Every morning he religiously went to all the various buildings- setting & winding the clocks, much to the amusement of many of the staff and boys who stayed on campus.
Mr Bowland Roberts, the Principal at that time, had a different idea of time. Punctual by nature, he was somehow late for one thing at times and that was morning assembly. He would then breeze into the hall, rush on to the stage and stare at the Bible or the book of instructions for the day. If the chatter did not die down, he would look over the rims of his spectacles till there was pin drop silence.
When I took over as Headmaster in the late eighties, one thing I was very particular about was the period starting on time after breaks when most boys tried strolling into class. Hence, I would stand outside the main academic block as soon as the bell was rung.
Teachers who were late themselves were soon running to class too. Then someone invented a new ploy which caught on soon. When they were late for class – rather than going straight to class looking guilty as hell in the bargain , they would walk towards me with a very determined, brisk stride and ask me some vague question in a very matter of fact manner . I believe that teachers, above all, must set an example by being punctual. Rushing into class late is something I really abhor till this date. Being on time not only tells other people you are dependable, but teaches you that you can depend on yourself too .
For my part, time worries me – or let me rephrase that – being late worries me. This often causes me to get into bad books with the family. If there is a flight to catch (earlier, it was a train) I am on pins and needles from the day before. Although I should be at the airport three hours prior to departure at the very least – I add on a half hour more just to be sure! That usually sees me sitting in the lounge for a few hours – not that I mind it.
I hate to keep people waiting – I think it is bad manners if you make it a habit. Hence whenever I conducted a meeting, people walking in late irritated me. They would often cause me to stop,look at them over the rims of my spectacles and then at my watch. You know who I learnt that from !
This would cause everyone to look around while the late comer prayed for a hole to open so they could dive for cover!
When my daughter got married a few months ago I was adamant , that despite it being the trend , she was not going to be late so much so that the poor girl was on the church premises ten minutes before time and had to wait in the car . The groom’s family were also requested a dozen times or more by me to ensure they were not late, and I had umpteen people monitoring all movement.
I guess they over did the ‘be on time part’ and were in church half an hour before the schedule start. I thanked them profusely and they smiled- am sure some of them were probably irritated with me for stressing them out! In fact – and this is the truth – the priest remarked that my daughter was the first bride he could remember who was on time! I wanted to take a bow! All I got for the effort however were a few sarcastic looks from my immediate family.
Then there was a colleague who was always late for our Corporate meetings – he was surely a chronic case. Wasn’t that dereliction of duty? In fact, his arriving late became something of a joke, yet I do not think it bothered him much as he often joined in the laughter. For me, being late is certainly not stylish or quirky – I think it’s downright rude.
There are also those who, when invited for a party at nine, make a grand entrance at eleven without so much as a by your leave.
When senior colleagues and myself are invited to any function at the residence of the boss , we are usually waiting, fifteen minutes prior to the given time , in our cars on an adjoining lane . Then on the stroke of the appointed hour we enter –this has just become a habit over the years and I feel, a good one at that.
You would have noticed that when people are late for anything, they blame the traffic, the faulty alarm clock, others for delaying them and everyone and everything else but the main culprit- themselves. Being punctual shows your humility. I once saw a bumper sticker while on holiday which read: “Always late, but worth the wait” That sure is presumptuous isn’t it? .
I guess it is Murphy’s law but if you start getting late for an appointment, things keep going wrong and you get more delayed. On the very rare occasions I happen to be running late and trying to hurry to make up time , I suddenly can’t find my car keys or my spectacles , – the lift takes ages to come up and stops at every floor and once in the car , I get stopped at every red light .
Let me tell you that I detest clinics, hospitals and others who make such a fuss about making an appointment. I understand the necessity of the same, so I do so religiously. However, being given a ten am appointment and reminded that morning to make sure I am on time- then being called in at ten forty-five or eleven is just not on.
I have many in laws and punctuality is certainly not among their many virtues. However, despite me moaning about the same it has not remedied the situation. I could write a book on this part of my story, but I need to live to fight another day, so I will not!
Many of you know that I have a cat at home. She does not wear a watch and cannot read the time but come 4. 30 am and she is beside my face, purring and trying to wake me up.
She sure knows something about time!
Something happened the other day and it set me thinking.
I received a call from our Corporate office and the lady asked me if I could send her a copy of my Emirates ID as it was needed by the bank. As I was busy at the time and not sure if I had a copy of the ID in my mail , I immediately mailed a Senior Administrative manager in the school I have my office in and simultaneously another lady who helps me with secretarial work and asked them if they had a copy of the same and if they did , could they please forward it to the lady in the Head office .
That done, I suddenly realised that I could have, just as easily, scanned the ID with my phone and sent it through myself without bothering anyone. So that is exactly what I did. All this within about five minutes of receiving the request.
In the span of a few minutes all three of us had duplicated the same task!
I gave this example, as I believe, like me, there are many in this world who when given a task to complete, do so at the earliest, as they value time- theirs and everyone else’s
Time shows dependability and responsibility and is a character trait people should strive to cultivate.
Yes, time is a precious commodity but is sadly underestimated currently. The best proverb on time is definitely “Time and tide wait for no one.”
I have known people over the years who have been at both ends of the spectrum. Some who are fastidious about time, are never late and never keep anyone waiting – punctuality being their forte. There are others who can never be on time- they procrastinate and feel no sense of remorse about never being punctual.
Let me tell you about a few people, some whose names I will take and some that I will not so as not to embarrass them.
My earliest memory is of my mother who was never late for work , for church and for anything for that matter – I probably picked up that habit from her and I always thank her for instilling in me unknowingly, the value of time.
In the cathedral in Allahabad, when I was growing up, there was an extremely strict parish priest called Fr Alva. When young parishioners arrived late and tried to slip into the pews at the rear of the church , he would make an example of them, stop the mass midway , and order them to come and sit in the front. It had the desirable effect – there were very few late comers. I guess if they did arrive late, they stayed outside rather that risk the wrath of the old priest!
Growing up I somehow felt that I was expected to be home by nine pm and so dot on the stroke of nine I was usually home! No one had told me to be home at that time but wherever I was, the self-imposed deadline beckoned me.
When I moved to teach in Pune, I worked under a gentleman called Derek Beaman who oversaw the large Boarding establishment.
Where there are boarders, there is a time schedule – even today, 20 years after leaving the school I remember the times for the rising bell, the various meals, studies etc – this includes weekend timings which varied!
If there was anyone who was fastidious about time it was him. At that time, we felt he was obsessed with hours, minutes and seconds and rather finicky too. The Masters on Duty were tasked with running the activities for the day and ensuring the bell was rung on time. Often out of frustration, tiredness , boredom or just plain laziness we would ask the Prefect to ring the bell a few minutes early – usually for the boarders to break from study and go for a meal or to end evening or night study .
Now let me tell you why that mattered so much to Mr Beaman. He led a very structured life so whether it was waking on the Race course tracks, , eating , bathing , walking his dog ,listening to the BBC news or just marking exercise books – he did everything according to a schedule and God forbid if any one spoilt the same by having the bell rung early ! I must add that the BBC was, metaphorically speaking, his life and his radio was probably only tuned to that channel so he had memorized the programme timings
When the bell was rung early, Mr Beaman would know it instantly as his favourite radio programme had ben interrupted . He would then come charging down from his residence which was in one of the oldest buildings on the campus and literally chew up the irresponsible soul! He believed that there was a big difference between 7.28 pm and 7. 30 pm and he was right. We all became so conditioned by his behaviour that soon everyone kept staring at their watch and the clock on the wall and ringing the bell on the dot!
This was an old school for those not from Bishops, let me tell you that it had quite a large campus comprising different buildings and in some of these buildings there were old weather beaten clocks which needed to be wound every twenty-four hours.
No clues for guessing who oversaw winding of the clocks – Yes Mr Beaman. Every morning he religiously went to all the various buildings- setting & winding the clocks, much to the amusement of many of the staff and boys who stayed on campus.
Mr Bowland Roberts, the Principal at that time, had a different idea of time. Punctual by nature, he was somehow late for one thing at times and that was morning assembly. He would then breeze into the hall, rush on to the stage and stare at the Bible or the book of instructions for the day. If the chatter did not die down, he would look over the rims of his spectacles till there was pin drop silence.
When I took over as Headmaster in the late eighties, one thing I was very particular about was the period starting on time after breaks when most boys tried strolling into class. Hence, I would stand outside the main academic block as soon as the bell was rung.
Teachers who were late themselves were soon running to class too. Then someone invented a new ploy which caught on soon. When they were late for class – rather than going straight to class looking guilty as hell in the bargain , they would walk towards me with a very determined, brisk stride and ask me some vague question in a very matter of fact manner . I believe that teachers, above all, must set an example by being punctual. Rushing into class late is something I really abhor till this date. Being on time not only tells other people you are dependable, but teaches you that you can depend on yourself too .
For my part, time worries me – or let me rephrase that – being late worries me. This often causes me to get into bad books with the family. If there is a flight to catch (earlier, it was a train) I am on pins and needles from the day before. Although I should be at the airport three hours prior to departure at the very least – I add on a half hour more just to be sure! That usually sees me sitting in the lounge for a few hours – not that I mind it.
I hate to keep people waiting – I think it is bad manners if you make it a habit. Hence whenever I conducted a meeting, people walking in late irritated me. They would often cause me to stop,look at them over the rims of my spectacles and then at my watch. You know who I learnt that from !
This would cause everyone to look around while the late comer prayed for a hole to open so they could dive for cover!
When my daughter got married a few months ago I was adamant , that despite it being the trend , she was not going to be late so much so that the poor girl was on the church premises ten minutes before time and had to wait in the car . The groom’s family were also requested a dozen times or more by me to ensure they were not late, and I had umpteen people monitoring all movement.
I guess they over did the ‘be on time part’ and were in church half an hour before the schedule start. I thanked them profusely and they smiled- am sure some of them were probably irritated with me for stressing them out! In fact – and this is the truth – the priest remarked that my daughter was the first bride he could remember who was on time! I wanted to take a bow! All I got for the effort however were a few sarcastic looks from my immediate family.
Then there was a colleague who was always late for our Corporate meetings – he was surely a chronic case. Wasn’t that dereliction of duty? In fact, his arriving late became something of a joke, yet I do not think it bothered him much as he often joined in the laughter. For me, being late is certainly not stylish or quirky – I think it’s downright rude.
There are also those who, when invited for a party at nine, make a grand entrance at eleven without so much as a by your leave.
When senior colleagues and myself are invited to any function at the residence of the boss , we are usually waiting, fifteen minutes prior to the given time , in our cars on an adjoining lane . Then on the stroke of the appointed hour we enter –this has just become a habit over the years and I feel, a good one at that.
You would have noticed that when people are late for anything, they blame the traffic, the faulty alarm clock, others for delaying them and everyone and everything else but the main culprit- themselves. Being punctual shows your humility. I once saw a bumper sticker while on holiday which read: “Always late, but worth the wait” That sure is presumptuous isn’t it? .
I guess it is Murphy’s law but if you start getting late for an appointment, things keep going wrong and you get more delayed. On the very rare occasions I happen to be running late and trying to hurry to make up time , I suddenly can’t find my car keys or my spectacles , – the lift takes ages to come up and stops at every floor and once in the car , I get stopped at every red light .
Let me tell you that I detest clinics, hospitals and others who make such a fuss about making an appointment. I understand the necessity of the same, so I do so religiously. However, being given a ten am appointment and reminded that morning to make sure I am on time- then being called in at ten forty-five or eleven is just not on.
I have many in laws and punctuality is certainly not among their many virtues. However, despite me moaning about the same it has not remedied the situation. I could write a book on this part of my story, but I need to live to fight another day, so I will not!
Many of you know that I have a cat at home. She does not wear a watch and cannot read the time but come 4. 30 am and she is beside my face, purring and trying to wake me up.
She sure knows something about time!
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