Commitments

I was going to do a write up about the Fourth of July, but something happened today that put that by the wayside.

I was woken this morning by a phone call from the property manager of the building. They needed to show an apartment, and wanted me to check with one of the tenants if it would be okay to show hers. This was fairly early in the morning, and I was doing good to find my glasses. So, I walked over there and, afraid that I might be waking up the nice lady, knocked on the door.

Fortunately, the good woman had been up for hours already, and didn't mind if we took a person through, to show the amenities.

The person never showed up! We waited for more than half an hour, and she never came. Not so much as a phone call to explain that they would not be here. In my book, that is just the height of rudeness. If you make an appointment to be someplace, you had better darn well be there!

My parents brought me up to believe that punctuality wasn't just a courtesy. It is an obligation. If I say I'm going to be somewhere, you'd better believe that I'll be there, or at least let you know what happened.

I think the problem is that we aren't as committed to things now as past generations were. We want everything to run according to our schedules, and we want it now. We have forgotten that it is a two way street. If we want the respect, we have to be willing to show it first. To me, it is part and parcel of being a proper gentleman, to always say what you mean and mean what you say.

I always put my watch on in the morning, usually right after my glasses. I check the time regularly. If I have an appointment, I always try to be five minutes early.

It all goes back to courtesy, respect for the other, and just being a good person. I hope that when people meet me, I make a decent impression.