cocktail parties and lateness.

I like to think of blogs as one big cocktail party. It's this happy place where everyone shares their wins - their party lines. You don't go to a cocktail party to tell people about how you've failed; you have your pitch ready. Your one liners that give people just enough information when they ask about your relationships and job. Just enough for them to nod and smile, and give a positive comment.

Well. This is very unpartyish of me, but here we go.

{and I'm super embarrassed to admit this. but I'm doing it}

I am always late. With the exception of work. And workout classes. But when it comes to social events, bible study, etc., I am always a few minutes behind. And I hate, hate it. And people say that it means you don't value other people's time. But that is not true! I really do value people's time - very much.

The trouble is, though, that I always overestimate myself. I always think that if I have five extra minutes, I can unload the dishwasher and throw together my lunch for the next day. Or if I have 45 minutes before a meeting, of course I can get in a quick run and shower.

And (this is where the shame comes in), last weekend I had a meeting for a charity, which began at 2 p.m. When I showed up at 2.10, our chair said, Whitney is always late. Just fashionably 10 minutes behind.

I was so embarrassed. I still am. And am 90 percent unsure as to why I am admitting this in writing. In public. (I should just get a diary.)

But there is 10 percent of me that knows why: I have to get better. I have to be punctual because being late is rude. Even if I do value people's time, it still indicates that I do not. And that is rude.

So this is my new year's resolution for 26, and I need people to hold me accountable. It's high time that shape up and make being on time a priority. Thought Catalog recommends leaving 15 minutes earlier than you need to for everything, which sounds like scary, scary time loss in my opinion, but I am going to commit to doing it. Because while I may lose 15 minutes of my time, I'll be giving others back those 10 minutes I'm always late. And I'm hoping this will prove that not only do I value their time, but I value them too. And that's far more important than an empty dishwasher.

PS: Does this constitute buying a new watch?
PPS: This is too inapprops for the blog, but still funny.

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