The Value of Time

What are you like at keeping appointments?

I had an appointment to meet a couple of people yesterday afternoon. I got home from work, got changed, and headed across town arriving about 10 minutes before the appointed time. Around 20 minutes after the appointed time I headed home again. They never showed.

I know that they had my mobile phone number and when we arranged to meet I stressed to them the importance of letting me know if they couldn’t make it.

I do wonder what people are thinking when they just leave someone hanging like that. Why do they feel that it’s alright to take a big chunk out of someone else’s day without apology?

Oh well, I’m over it now. Maybe it’s just a good reminder for me to always treat other people’s time as an important commodity.

Posted by Rodney Olsen



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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He has worked in radio at Perth's media ministry Sonshine for over 25 years and has previously worked at ministries such as Compassion Australia and Bible Society.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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7 Comments

  • That is SO inconsiderate!

    I have a fear of being late, especially for important appointments and I usually arrive WAY too early. My parents were always late everywhere, including dropping me to school, so I blame them totally!!

  • I’m with you, Rodney…I can’t understand how people can be so rude. I think it may have something to do with the fact that people today are not usually taught basic etiquette when they’re growing up.

  • i hear that the idea of time in places like the phillipines is and parts of africa is somewhat different to ours….it would be a serious culture shock to so many of us to be in a place where instead of being at an appointment at 10:45 its at ‘sometime before lunch’….

  • Don’t even get me started on that! As a therapist I have to wait for my clients if they are late and I constantly battle within myself if I should give them extra time.

    I’ve learned that I can’t and eventually if they get that they are losing time because they are late, they prepare better.

    But you’re friends were rude, and there is no excuse for them not even calling you – even if something happened to them.

  • I agree, Rodney. Time is precious to me, but not everyone values it in the same way.

    Roo, at an on-campus job in college, I was scheduled to work the shift before a guy who grew up in Africa. He would often show up 30 minutes late and think nothing of it. It drove those of us who grew up in America crazy.

  • dont get me started on that one!!
    we have some friends whose surname we use when we talk about g_time
    as in don’t stress about it – just plan for them to be late and you wont be disappointed.
    i personally am a punctual person and hate being late.

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