For once, I didn’t totally embarrass myself on the Slate News Quiz — which, as you know from my constant whining about it, is timed and therefore tends to rattle me.
Yes! Take a look at THAT, Aisha Harris! 419! You’d better go study up next time! That goes for you too out there, Mr. Average!
Actually, I should have gone 12 for 12. Both of the questions I missed were ones where — and I know you’ve been there — my first reaction was the right answer, but being an idiot, I talked myself out of it.
Otherwise, my result would have looked like what you see below. (Yeah, I make a habit of immediately taking the test a second time, to improve my speed and check up on my ability to learn.) Now, y’all go take it!
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I resisted the urge to rush through the questions, even when I was certain of the answer. Consequently, I got more correct (11/12) than normal. I missed the one about the tropical storm. I’m embarrassed by that. WAGged a couple of others.
Nice going.
It’s probably smart to slow yourself down a little, if you can judge it right. But with me, that’s a two-edged sword. If I tell myself to relax, I’ll relax too much. I’d have gotten those two I missed had I gone with my gut.
But… I DID pause a second on the storm. My first thought was, “They all start with A! How am I supposed to know! I hate weather news! Just click on one!” But then I paused to look again, and realized that I had encountered one of those names in the news this past week…
Quite often, when I’m really late for something, it’s because I had been running ahead of schedule. That’s deadly with me. If I see I’m running early, I relax gratefully. I hate hurrying so much, and I’m so happy to be able to relax, and… next thing I know, I’m late….
Whereas if I’m panicking from the start, and never stop panicking, I’m usually OK.
But I hate living like that.
I sort of wish clocks had never been invented. They always put me at a disadvantage, and the kinds of people who are always on time are so extremely judgmental. They think being anal-retentive about time makes them better people. Schedules just cause so much unpleasantness in life…
Punctual people despise people like me.
But you know what I resent? People who show up early. I don’t mind punctual, but early?
It really drove me nuts at the newspaper when someone had an appointment with me, and as usual I had a gazillion things to do before that meeting, and they showed up 20 minutes early. Sometimes I’d go ahead and meet with them, but usually not — because I had really, really needed that 20 minutes, to do things essential to getting the paper out. But then I was distracted, knowing that a guest was waiting.
Nothing I do these days is THAT time-critical, so it’s easier to accommodate people, which is nice…
How does someone raised as a military brat not have a habit of being on time? I was raised that if you’re 5 minutes early, you’re actually 5 minutes late. Didn’t your dad go sit in the car 15 minutes before you’re scheduled to leave?
Not that I recall.
The one thing like that that I recall is that he woke up early in the morning ready to go. I’ve had a terrible time waking up my whole life, and have envied him that — of course, it was ingrained in him from standing watches at sea.
I never got to stand watches at sea with him, so that didn’t rub off.
Anyone who had tried to make me believe, even for a second, that five minutes early was five minutes late would have been in for a disappointment….
“Anyone who had tried to make me believe, even for a second, that five minutes early was five minutes late would have been in for a disappointment….”
In my household you’d likely get left behind on trips. That’ll change your thinking in a hurry as a kid. Car leaves at 10:00, you show up at 10:02 and you’ll be staring at an empty driveway.
Everybody Loves Raymond had an episode on this very subject… A.I.S. 10:00 A.I.S meant at 10:00 you better have your Ass In Seat or you get left behind.