Not sure what happened to me, but since I came back from two years in Spain, I’ve turned into a procrastinator. It wasn’t obvious at first. But there it is. Even my T’s are crossed later. That’s handwriting analysis code for procrastination, when it used to be before and right over the T’s. Meaning impatience, but able to get things done.

Not anymore

When I was in Spain, I knew ahead of time that waiting was a national pastime. Chilling two to three hours at meals was the norm. Arriving two hours after a party starts, the usual. Why be on time when no one really expects promptness? And no one gets mad or cares anyway.

So are the Spaniards procrastinators or just lazy? I don’t know, maybe it depends on what you’re waiting for.

We Americans want things done yesterday. We expect people, appointments, and services to be on time every time unless somebody got run over by a car or went into labor on the way to the appointment.

Over two years in Spain, I adapted; I stopped getting irritated when the post office lady would get up with 10 ppl in line and announce it was her coffee break and disappear. Ok, will she hurry and be back in 5 min? Nope, try 20 minutes or more. Meantime, we all stand in line and hold our packages. Then she comes back, and the window closes at 2 pm in 15 minutes, as now it’s siesta lunch time.  Everyone that’s been in line for an hour now must come back after 5 pm.  And no one gets mad.  Cause they are all going to lunch too. So, I had to also. If you can’t beat em,  join em.

The plumber who wouldn’t show until the next day or the day after. It was the norm, I got used to it. I lowered my expectations.

The doctor shuts down at two pm despite your bleeding finger. So, you wrap it with more toilet paper and go have coffee. ok then, potential for infections and tetanus be damned. Oh did I mention no one sues anyone in Spain?

Or the dentist who says come back at five, despite my broken tooth and pain. Take some paracetamol (Tylenol) and suck it up. Lunch is first, don’t ever forget that.

Why do anything today when it can be done tomorrow? Or someday?

So now, as time has gone by, since being back in the United States, I find I arrive places at the exact time or 5 minutes after (15 minutes late is about all any American will tolerate), so I’ve adapted back a little to adapt to the American way. Well, I feel no rush anymore, no matter what.

A person says they will be an hour late, ok, no problem, it doesn’t bother me anymore.  Meeting at work? I wander in  5 minutes late, and I make no excuses. Because I no longer care. I could say what Im thinking, like I was in no hurry to be here, because it doesn’t matter, there is no emergency. But I keep those thoughts to myself, as it might come out in my review as chronic lateness, but  I don’t give a shit. They’re lucky I was 5 minutes late, not thirty.

I thought when I came back to the USA  Ide be right back in the rush of everything—always arriving 30 minutes or earlier everywhere. The impatience with others who are not at least 15 minutes early, too. The annoyance when the appointment to see the hairdresser or the doctor, or the mechanic is gonna be late.  The annoyance is now gone.   Even when I know I have to be somewhere else, and their lateness will make me late, I don’t care. Thanks, Spain.

Even when I plan a trip, I may actually wait till just before the trip starts to nail down the hotels and excursions. Something I’d never be able to handle before, as my need to have things done ahead of time was overpowering. All of my impatience was before I learned to go with the flow in Spain.  Who would have thought? I was once called high-strung. Now there is no string. 

So there you are.

Has my stress gone down? Yup

Do I feel the anxiety of being late? Nope

Do I care if the boss looks down at me for being 5 min late? Nope

When I walk in anywhere, I think it is better to be late than never.

Unless it’s a true emergency and someone might die, I may just not be there on time.

And there I am, better late than never.

Somewhere In Texas

Putting off errands…..