Timelines

Ever noticed how time can mean different things to different people? Like, with me five minutes means five minutes, tomorrow morning means just that and if I say I’ll be wherever at a particular time then that’s where I am. At that time.  The only deviation was when my kids were little and I’d respond with  “in a minute!” at least twice a day as this could mean any timeframe from 60 seconds to the next week, depending on what it was they wanted and why they wanted me in on it.

Well that’s probably typical of many parents (mothers mostly) but like I said, different things, different people etc. Take teens for example, time is a very flexible thing with them but they also do the “in a minute” thing and like parents, it can mean just about anything, depending on what it is you want them to do or where it is you want them to go. In extreme cases “in a minute” can mean like, next year or preferably never. As I said, it all depends on on what the question was. But teens can also be hazy about days, as in “I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon.” They might be but perhaps it would be best not to hold your breath as it could mean the day after, the week after or some time further into the future. Depends on the kid, where they are and who they’re with. Hopefully the location and the company are all good!

Some people are just naturally punctual and assume that others will be too which is a problem for those couldn’t turn up on time even if their life depended on it. For them, on time means whatever time they happen to get there and when they finally do, they totally fail to pick up on the angst. Don’t know how they miss it though because how does anyone not see all the tight-mouthed expressions or hear the quips about the time or even  pick up on the frustration if everyone else had somewhere to be and now everyone was very, very Late!

As a result, there are some people I just don’t do time-related things with. If it’s imperative I be somewhere at a particular time then I don’t invite them along or offer them a lift or anything else that has something even vaguely to do with them being involved. It’s either leave them completely out of the picture or throttle them. But to be fair, I’m sure I’ve driven tardier aquaintances up the wall by not only turning up when I say I will but also especting them to be ready to go when I get there. When will I ever learn?

Whatever, I’m not alone in my frustrations with people to whom time is an enigma and I really try to be reasonable, but the next time the teen that’s still in residence says he’ll be home and then fails to show I think I may blow a major fuse…and then I’m going to go out and not even bother to to leave a note, let alone allude to how long I’ll be.

If he actually turns up he might even see it!