Have you ever realized how much our culture revolves around the idea of time? Think about it. Time is nothing but mere numbers that we arbitrarily assign to different points in a day. Yet it is powerful enough to make us fret if we don’t make it to school or to work “on time,” or we anticipate not finishing a project for our boss “on time,” or the bus didn’t come “on time.” It really is peculiar how an entire culture can be dictated by numbers that have no value.
Theoretically, or so I believe, the idea behind enforcing students to be on time for school is supposed to train us to be punctual for our jobs in our later adult life. This idea has been enforced in vain on me. I have fallen into a routine every morning for as long as I can remember that is as predictable and consistent as clockwork – no pun intended.
I set my alarm 20 minutes before the time I intend to wake up. This allows for two snoozes (the alarm has to ring at least 3 times before I will make even the slightest effort to get up). I set my alarm in this methodical way, knowing that after 20 minutes, yes, I will make a slight effort to get up, but that I will inevitably change my mind and collapse back onto the comfort of my pillow. After waking up late as I do every morning, I proceed to eat, get dressed, etc. at the speed of a turtle and with one eye open, one eye closed…literally. This whole process culminates in me missing my bus, which has a domino effect of me missing every other mode of transportation I take in the morning, and being late for class.
So why do I continue to put myself in this situation morning after morning? Why do I insist on lingering in bed knowing that in an hour’s time I will be one angry glob of human sitting on the bus, sulking inside because I wanted to be on the earlier bus? Something to think about.
I too am chronically late. It is so frustrating. You’d think us late commers would learn from past negative experiences but alas, our priorities remain set on instant gratification, or more simply put, staying in bed.
Here is a quote about time I enjoyed: ” Practically speaking, if timesaving devices really saved time, there would be more time available to us than ever before in history. But, strangely enough, we seem to have less time than even a few years ago. It is really great fun to go someplace where there are no timesaveing devices, because, when you do, you find that you have lots of time. ” – The Toa of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
That quote is very true. All the technological advancements and new gadgets we place on the market are designed to be quick and time-saving, but we end up becoming so absorbed in our little devices that they achieve the exact opposite. Ironic, really. Great quote you chose.
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