It’s no secret that on the days on which I’m not running late, I’m relatively on time. Relatively being the key word. Some believe timeliness is cultural and relative. Others believe it is a sign of respect. I, like many Native Americans, believe it is both. Life is a gift and is best lived ‘naturally,’ not rushing from one event to the other. As one study, Traditional Native American Cultures and Contemporary US Society, revealed, “Having patience, showing respect, and caring for others is of more importance than being ‘on time’ as measured by a clock.” Agreed.
That said, when I have an opportunity to attend a social event – especially one where the food and drinks are flowing – I typically arrive ‘just in time.’ The other night I had the privilege of attending an event honoring media. I arrived at about 6:30 (the time detailed on the invite) and was among the first to show. As we patiently waited for honorees to arrive, I showed respect to others in the room (by not taking their drinks) and caught up with Prime Rib and his wife.
Several hours later the room had pretty much cleared out. The only people remaining were me, Prime Rib, his wife, the band, event planners, the catering crew and a journalist who told us, “You invite a journalist to an event with free drinks and they’re always going to be the last to go.” We gave a cheers to that statement, finished our drinks and parted ways. ‘First to show, last to go,’ is a great motto, depending on the occasion. In some cases – work, family reunion, funerals – a better motto may be, ‘Last to show, first to go.’