If you're of a sensitive disposition and would like to read something creative, please look away now.
The reason for the above disclaimer is that I have decided to write a post about punctuality – topical, you see, because I haven't posted to this blog in many moons. I could offer some excuses for that, divulging information about my life and the wonderfully wacky ways in which I spend my time, but that would be too much like a real blog and would not be very interesting besides.
See, I feel that punctuality is a very interesting topic. For me it's like some sort of mythical beast that almost always narrowly escapes my grasp. I can meet deadlines if they're suitably vague, but I have a complete inability to do anything more specific, like turn up on time for something or get on the right train or anything along those lines.
The problem that I have is that I find it hard to care. I personally cannot see why the clock has such a massive influence on our society. Sure, it's nice to get things done, but do they have to be completed at nice round intervals like 9:00am, 10:15am etc.? It's natural for us to have some concept of time – there's only so much that you can get done in a day and likewise a finite quantity of food that you can grow in a year. Waiting around isn't fun, but is it really such a problem to have to do it for 5 or 10 minutes? Use those 5 or 10 minutes for reflection or quite contemplation – it's time that you might not otherwise have. Alternatively, you could use that time to meet strangers while you wait – you never know, they might share the same feelings towards time that you do!
Of course, there is a more philosophical way of looking at punctuality – it could well be argued that time is simply a side-product of our way of processing the universe, and as such is merely a hypothetical and that basing our lives around it is logical fallacy. That may well be the case, but I tend to look at philosophical arguments as hypothetical too– moreover, this one in particular seems to be far less practical in itself than the fallacy that it attempts to disprove.
I do understand the need for time –accurate measuring of it give us the potential to have fuller days and richer lives (less time spent waiting for each other). I just wish that I didn't get in to trouble because of it so often.
Can't I be made exempt?
