........ of punctuality

Your Sincerely ( Y S ) has been preoccupied with punctuality and being punctual for almost all his life, and for 36 years of his working life, HE WAS NEVER LATE FOR WORK !!! However, there was no citation for this when he retired. " The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it " ( Franklin Jones) Very few people seem to bother about the quality or habit of adhering to an appointed time. "Laugh and the world laughs with you, be prompt and you dine alone" (Gerald Barzan) Y S is not referring to the occasional lateness due to unforeseen circumstances but the habitual practice of being late due to lack of concern of being on time.

Have you observed that the Chinese wedding dinner reception never start on time. It is at least half an hour late, even though it is held at posh hotels where you can expect more polished guests ? Notwithstanding those held at clan and association or temple halls can be behind time for as much as an hour !!! Being a Chinese course dinner, everyone has to be seated before the serving can start. It is unlike the Malay "Kenduri (Wedding feast) buffet where the lunch hours is stretched very thin from 12 noon to as late as 6 p.m. Perhaps this is more practical, guests can pop in and out at anytime. Well, you can even pop in twice, one for lunch and another one for early dinner . LOL

What irks Y S more is that the late comers are not frown upon. It is accepted like a norm. The host seems to condone the late comers as if they are V.I.Ps. At Chinese wedding dinners some tables are reserved for them. They seem to get preferential treatment in full view of the punctual ones. Even in churches, habitual late comers park their vehicles indiscriminately and are lovingly ushered to vacant pews like V.I.Ps, and when the mass / service is over, they are the last to come out of the church. Thus, their vehicles block others.

In school, we have school prefects who have to sacrifice their lessons to wait at the school gate to "welcome" and record the names of the late comers. Some come to school on their own vehicles. And these late comers have no urgency. They stroll leisurely into the classes, interrupting the lessons.

I think the only time people are punctual is when they have to check into "Air Asia" counter at the airport. The one-hour check-in procedure has no compromise ! Another instance of real punctuality being practised in Malaysia that Y S observes is at the banks when new issue of "Amanah Saham Malaysia" ( Malaysia Trust Fund that promises good returns) are released. Some are overtly punctual and can queue at the bank door before dawn !!! Talking about banks, try to repay your bank loan by a day late and see what happens?

Lack of punctuality is a theft of someone else's time. Lack of punctuality is also the lack of respect for others. Y S has always made is a point to be at least 15 to 30 minute early for appointments, lunch, dinner, golf etc etc etc To be punctual is a decision. Get up earlier. Get off earlier. Get started faster. Of course, it is better late than never, but better never late is even better. " I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time, and it has made a man of me. " Lords Nelson.

Of course, the traffic always gets the blamed for causing unpunctuality, and when it rains then the weather gets the blame. Sometimes, it is the alarm clock but most of the time traffic jams. Y S has yet to come across a late comer who blames himself :-

" Oh, It is my fault. I dilly dally."
" I'm sorry. I'm a tardy person."
" Oh, I woke up and then went to sleep again."
" I dilly dally and started late."

Punctuality is a decision. When you decide to be punctual, you will think of ways and means to be punctual. What do you think?