A Voice from the Silent Majority

When we are going to think of the time to do something there are two times we have to consider the Actual Time & Sri Lankan Time. (It becomes three if we consider auspicious times/රාහු කාලය as well)

Sri Lanka as a nation is late. We all know it, and all of us contribute towards it. We are late when it comes to bringing on important education reforms, important laws (seat belt law for example), responding to critical situations. But most of all when it comes to going to a place on time we are late (including me).

From the tender years of our lives we are told many things about punctuality and all of us remember the wise words of our elders. One favorite quote is “Value of time is equal to the value of gold/ කාලය රන් හා සමානයි”. So we all know the virtues of working on time. But the thing is we never make an effort to be somewhere on time. Unless we know that we have to make a very good impression. (Job interviews and exams are not the only to be on time.)

There are several reasons for being late, one being our laziness. On a day without traffic I can go to university in about 30mins if I travel by car. So this is the time I allocate for my trip to university every day I go in a vehicle. I’m too lazy to consider factors such as weather, traffic , accidents. So when these factors are adverse I’m late. (so I have to spend the extra time to come up with colorful excuses to tell the lecturers as the reason for being late.)

Another reason for being late (which by the way is very popular) is that we think that others would be late. We see this especially when it comes to departing on a trip. During my whole life I have never left on a trip on time. So most people come late intentionally because they think others will come late. These people even go to the extent of making fun of the people who actually came on time (“අපි දන්න හින්ද තමයි වෙලවට ආවෙ නැත්තෙ”).

(When I was small in about year 7 or year 8, when it was the day to go on the class trip I wanted to leave home as early as possible, I really thought my whole class would come on time and would leave without me. So being there on time was a serious business. I used to freak out, urging my father to get ready saying that he’s going to make me late, and if I’m really lucky I would get to leave the house by the time I was supposed to be in school. And when I got to school I find myself belonging to the few people who came early. I would be so angry with my class mates. I would also find out that I have left some important stuff at home in my haste to leave home. Now it’s my father’s time to yell at me for all the nagging and bothering I did earlier. This is how I picked up the habit of intentionally being late.)

There are also some who think it’s fashionable to be late, and then get all the attention of some place. I think it were the politicians who were the trendsetters this time. When it came to gracing an occasion they were always late. I remember waiting and waiting during prize givings at school waiting for the relevant politicians to come. (I’m sure my thoughts during those moments, which mind you were long, would have brought many ill effects to the parents’ of those politicians.)

Guys used to employ this technique a lot to during A/Ls classes to make sure the girls knew that they existed. (Nowadays we seem to have outgrown that habit. But I’m certain the current A/Ls students have taken up this, to replace us.)

And for all those humble souls who get late thanks to feeble memories, well I feel for you. You just can’t help being late.

Since i myself is guilty of being late, i don't think i'm in any position to offer advice on the matter. So if some one does have advice it would be appreciated.

Remember “Better late than never, but never late is better”.