What happened? Why did you get so late?
Oh, I was just thinking of leaving when I found a new voice message saying that there was to be a meeting at 6:30. So I waited back n guess what? At 6:15 the guy calls to say that it’s been rescheduled for tomorrow. Man! I could’ve been home by then!
Ask someone what time will they leave from someplace and the reply you’ll get is “Can’t say. I’ll give you a missed call when I actually leave.”
Sound familiar?
The thing is, we’ve lost control of how our day will proceed ‘cause it’s too dependent on external factors liable to sudden changes. And if you are one of those “boring” people who like to stick to original schedules, you can bet you’ll be left out of everything. Or worse, be disgruntled about having to shelve other things abruptly, and you’re not committed enough to the current activity. Plans, in the unlikely event that they exist, rarely fall into place.
There is as usual another side to it. Back in the, say, 70s, you could have unexpected visitors. Housewives would cook extra meals just in case. People would travel across the country without reservations. Unimaginable!
The sheer lack of communication channels made people think ahead and be better prepared for “un”forseen problems, while we don’t know a bridge exists until we’re halfway across.
We’re also very commitment phobic because of this unpredictability.
But all of this holds true only for personal and everyday matters. Bands have their shows for at least the next 6 months chalked out. And while we’re at it, ask someone who got married recently how much in advance they had to book the venue.
As usual my post is dichotomous. And I leave it at that.
