I find it gripping when I discover I am late for some event, especially an appointment or a meeting with someone. If I am not too late, I try to call to let the other person know I am on my way and will be there soon. Once I was weeding in the garden when my wife called out that we had gotten a phone call and that a class of students were waiting on schedule for a final test I was supposed to give. I went in my gardening clothes. Not quite as bad as being informed that I had missed a meeting which was held last week.
The thing about being late is that once you are late, nothing can undo that. You may be forgiven and you may reschedule but you are late, you have missed a deadline and that is that. I used to have a philosophy book with the quotation at the beginning that it is not even given to God to undo what has been done. Philosophers love tussling with questions of what God can and cannot do.
A famous and jolting case of two latenesses occurs at the beginning of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. A man is awakened to the morning sound of heavy construction machinery in his backyard. Very upset, he rushes out to ask what the blazes they think they are doing. Turns out the city council has directed them to raze his house as part of a borough building project. A notice to that effect has been posted on the city council bulletin board for months, also advising residents to discuss the council's plans and desires for compensation before last weekend. Too late! (Turns out that this turn of event is being mirrored at the intergalactic headquarters, except in this case the announcement concerns the destruction of our planet to make way for a giant space highway.)
Sometimes it is worse to be early. Invited to dinner at 6, don't show up at 5:30. Sure, you can offer to leave and return, or to help with setting the table but it is still upsetting to your hosts. In some places being invited for 6 means to ring the bell at 6:00:00. In some places, doing so is impolite and you should manage to ring the bell between 6:07 and 6:11.
My father-in-law arrived for my wedding about 40 minutes late with my current wife fretting in the backseat. But I have forgotten all about that by now.
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
