In the mad rush to get zj to doctors and dentists and optometrists - OH MY! - before kindergarten registration, I have made a startling discovery about myself.
I don't like appointments.
For someone who is as structured as I always have been, this comes as a bit of a surprise.
But given the choice between a set, scheduled appointment and a place that will let you show up willy-nilly and take you on a first come, first served basis, I will pick the latter, every single time.
In my head, it doesn't make any sense. I've always preferred structure to chaos. I've always had a schedule, and stuck to a schedule, come Hell or high water or whatever.
When I attempted to self-psycho-analyze this, I realized that it's not that I don't like having an appointment, necessarily, it's that I don't like it when the people on the other side of my appointment don't keep their end of the bargain.
For example, if I have an appointment at 8:30am, I will, without fail, arrive at 8:10, all necessary paperwork in order, payments in hand, ready for action. That means that by 8:30, I have been patiently waiting for my turn. My scheduled time. My appointment.
When 8:31 rolls around, I begin to watch the clock.
By 8:33, I am beside myself, because now I'm running late. Clearly it's a reflection on me.
At 8:35, I begin to ask questions of the receptionist - did I have my appointment time wrong? am I here on the wrong day? - because it doesn't compute that this is about anyone else but me.
Of course, I realize that things happen. Appointments run late, people run late, things happen to get in the way.
"But I'm always on time" my psyche whines. "Why can't everyone else be?"
So I find myself more and more often preferring the places where no appointment is necessary - Walk-Ins Welcome.
Even if it means an inferior haircut, a cookie cutter experience, or a wasted afternoon patiently waiting my turn.
The whole intolerance for tardiness is likely something I should work on getting over.
But I'm not there yet.
Maybe I'll schedule a time in the future to do just that.
This was so funny to me! It has "me" written all over it..
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a family where the phrase "the Elliott's come on their time" which was ALWAYS late, was always said. It was so embarrassing!! Now as an adult I am ALWAYS on time, sometimes even thinking I'm late only to see that it's actually the EXACT time I should be there...
If there is a paperwork need then I am in fact very early to allow for the proper amount of filling out time...
@Janet - I know exactly what you mean. I get all anxious when I think I'm running late, but late to me means on time to other people.
ReplyDelete