“Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.”
Yesterday, in the early afternoon, thunder and lightning arrived with great fanfare and brought along a tremendous storm. Huge drops came first followed by steadily falling smaller drops which stayed around all afternoon. I took a nap on the couch and fell asleep to the sound of the rain. Today is sunny and still humid. It’s sweat weather.
Whether we like it or not, the clock rules our lives. We go to work, get up, eat and sleep around the same times every day. Buses go and the train starts down the track. Only planes are iffy when it comes to schedules. At school, the bells ring and everyone moves. I, however, don’t wear a watch, haven’t for a long time. If I have to be somewhere, I leave in time to get there, and I’m always punctual. I think tardy people are boorish. I’m not talking the once in a while you couldn’t help it late but lateness as a personality trait. When I ran meetings, I started on time regardless of how many people were missing. The punctual should never be punished for the impolite. I had a friend who was never on time. She drove me crazy. I learned to start without her. She usually missed the appetizers. I won’t get started on doctors and dentists. I think most of them should be publicly flogged.
In Ghana there was Ghanaian time and European time, and it didn’t take long to figure out the difference. Ghanaian time was whenever. Lorries left when they were filled. Waiting a few hours for one to fill was common so I learned patience. A party started two hours or more later than the invitation. To come on time was to arrive far too early. Classes did start on time, and bells still ruled because there was no way around it, but school was about the only place driven by time. I had most of my clothes made by a local seamstress. She was as consistent as a Chinese restaurant where every take out order is ready in twenty minutes. She always said two days. I usually went back day three and she’d still say tomorrow.
I learned to live by Ghanaian time, even came to like it. There was never much hurry. Things got done when they got done, and that was enough. Lately I’ve found myself moving more and more toward Ghanaian time. I do what I want when I want. Things’ll get done sometime, and that’s beginning to be enough for me.
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
July 20, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Before reading about the Phantom Empire here I had never heard of it, So I got surprised when they had a whole page about it in my old home town newspaper yesterday 🙂 Over here they called it “The lightning people” in swedish 🙂 🙂
It´s been warm ,windy and cloudy most of the day here and as long as the sun stayed away it was rather nice. But when it finally started to shine it was unbearable. Now the clouds are back again and all is fine.
I had a friend that had lived in Brazil for a couple of years and he could never come in time! It drove me mad. So when we decided to meet somewhere I always told him to meet me a couple of hours before we needed to meet. He almost showed up in time then 🙂 🙂
I´m always early to a meeting and if it doesn´t start in time, because people are late, I usually falls asleep 🙂
Have a great day now!
Christer.
July 22, 2010 at 1:14 am
Christer,
My friends thought the film was so corny, but I love it. I found out it is the first to mix western and science fiction. How funny it was in your paper!
It is quite late, 1 am, and it is now raining. The evening feels so much cooler but I had to be up late to appreciate it.
I did start to tell my friend an earlier time so she would be on time when she was late.
July 20, 2010 at 5:41 pm
I do not like people who cancel appointments. Nice that they call while you’re waiting and tell you they changed their mind but I just blew off a morning or afternoon. God that sucks! But I too, like you Kat, take pride in myself for always being on time.
July 22, 2010 at 1:15 am
Z&Me,
I always end up going because I feel obligated. The last thing I would do is blow off an appointment. The guilt would be overwhelming.
July 21, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Oh… it’s killing her to not write today. 🙂
Hope you have a relaxing day off.
s
July 22, 2010 at 1:12 am
s,
Wednesday is always a busy day for me as I have dinner then a play every week. I am always supposed to make either an appetizer or dessert but never seem to have the time. Today I did, but I do admit I thought of a quick note as I had a few of those random thought running through my head.
July 23, 2010 at 1:25 am
==
I won’t get started on doctors and dentists. I think most of them should be publicly flogged.
==
Took me 7 hours to get final paperwork with an ophthalmologist/surgeon, then get pre-op paperwork and final exams in the day surgery place before my eyelid surgery. I have no idea how long it would take to get things settled for a body-ectomy or some major operation!
:-((((((((((((((((((((((
July 23, 2010 at 10:00 am
Rick,
If they do get flogged, I, like Madame LaFarge, will be in the front row knitting and laughing!