Today’s letter T is all about TIME–the most precious and fleeting commodity we humans have. We spend it, we waste it, we lose it, we find it, we set it aside for things we want or love to do. Sometimes we have a good TIME; sometimes we have a bad TIME. I hate it when things TIME out, but I love it when my losing team takes TIME out to plan new strategies.
TIME is also one of the silent communication forces at work between people. If you’re ten minutes late to an event, is that okay? Do you have to apologize? Probably not.
If it’s going to be twenty minutes to half an hour don’t you feel you have to say something? “The traffic was terrible.” “I’m so sorry, but . . .”
Then let’s go for more than thirty minutes or more. Do you call ahead to say something’s held you up? Do you arrive with flowers? Is your apology more elaborate?
Of course, the formality of a situation and some personal variation are always factors, but in general this is the North American time etiquette.
I love to talk about time etiquette in our culture. What’s really interesting is to discuss how this silent communication works in social situations involving different cultures. But that’s for another TIME when I’m not in the A to Z Challenge mode.
For now, Tempus Fugit, so go say hi to the A-Z bloggers who have something to say about the letter T.
Debra Harris-Johnson says
Tic tock Tic tock, I seem to hear that proverbial clock that runs faster and faster. Thanks for a great T post.
Pk Hrezo says
Oh boy the one thing that always gets away from me. I miss the days that were filled with just time and nothing to do… when an entire day felt like forever. The older we get, the more it slips away…
Arlee Bird says
The worst thing about time is that we're all running out of it. It saddens me when I hear people say something like, "I wish such and such day would hurry and get here." Believe it will soon enough. Maybe it's better to savor every day, every minute between now and then.
Lee
Places I Remember
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
Christine says
Nice post! My husband is of the military mindset that on time means 15 minutes early. I'm more of a show up 10 minutes late kind of person. I know this about myself, so when I make appointments with clients, I always throw an "around" next to the time. You can never really account for traffic in the city anyway!
Christine
Coffee in the Garden
In the Care of the Great Physician
Botanist says
And in some laid-back cultures, half an hour late would be considered unfashionably prompt 🙂
Teresa Cypher says
Tine truly does fly! My dad used to tell me that the older I get, the faster it will go. Oh my! That is so true. Nice post 🙂
Jemi Fraser says
Love it! Time is so variable – yet it really is constant. 🙂
Fairday Morrow says
Excellent post! You really summed everything up nicely. I would love to be able to freeze time so that I could catch up on everything. Time seems to go by so fast!
~Jess
Dana - Let's Book It says
Great post! Time really is precious and I am terrible for wasting so much of it. Thanks for the reminder.
Beth says
Yes! Time is fleeting!
Stina Lindenblatt says
I'm with Leslie. I don't like being late. And when my parents say they are going to be here at a certain time, I add an extra 10 minutes to it. 🙂
Leslie Rose says
I break out in a cold sweat whenever I'm late. Conversely, I have a few friends who have a very "fluid" sense of time – completely oblivious to being consistently late. ACH.
J.C. Martin says
There's never enough of it in a day, is there? And despite it being such a precious commodity, it's something everyone is guilty of frittering away needlessly sometimes.
J.C. Martin
A to Z Blogger
Medeia Sharif says
I'm a timekeeper. I love to be early. If I'm a few minutes late to something I apologize (and on the way there I feel anxious).
Carrie Butler says
Time does not exist on Mondays. It's a blur of blog activity and social networking. 😉
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
I think a lot of people don't understand time etiquette.
Christine Rains says
I have several clocks in my house and a calendar in every room. Time means a lot to me. Time etiquette is really quite amusing. I always feel anxious and guilty if I don't arrive somewhere on time.
Libby says
UGH. I'm slightly neurotic so even if I'm two minutes late I apologize and give excuses. It's who I am…
Lynn Proctor says
i am a time stickler–wish i wasn't sometimes
Ashling says
So often time feels like my enemy. Thanks for thought-provoking post; I'm glad I took teh time to read it!
Matthew MacNish says
There's never enough time! Great post for T, C.L.
Barbara Watson says
Interesting. There are times when my favorite use of time is sitting quietly–no words needed–with a person who gets that words don't always have to fill our time.
Jaycee DeLorenzo says
Ah, time…
I remember that I used to be the girl who arrived early for everything – I still do at times, but now that I have kids, I feel like I'm always late for things.
I used to give my sister so much guff for always being late (she's late for everything, and had kids before I did), now I'm eating my words.
SA Larsenッ says
Interesting look on time. I've yet to master any sense of time – being on time or otherwise. Through the years, I've learned to be the master of my own time. Sometimes I success; other times not so much.