The struggles of being a habitually early person
It doesn’t matter what time I am supposed to be somewhere; I’m going to be there long before that time and definitely before anyone else arrives. I don’t ever plan it that way, but I always seem to overestimate how long it takes to get somewhere, even if it’s a place I go every day. Being the first one to show up to a place can cause a lot of awkward moments—something I don’t always handle very well. I’ve tried to curb this in the past and arrive at more reasonable times, but it’s become a habit I can’t break.
It’s obviously not the worst habit to have, but it can still cause a few problems. Here are some truths about those of us who just can’t seem to get anywhere on time.
Nothing takes as long as we think it does
I work 10 minutes away from my house, maybe 15 minutes if I catch every red light. A reasonable person would leave about 15 minutes before they had to get to work, right?Not me, though. I leave an hour early. I don’t know why, and I can’t make it stop.
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We have an endless supply of excuses for why we’re so early
I’ve always been this way, so I’ve come up with excuses when people mock me for my earliness. Some of my favorites include “Traffic was a lot better than I thought it would be” and “I was already on this side of town for something else, so I just hung around” are my favorites. Or “I got here early to read/write/eat something/whatever else is applicable.”
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People who are late confuse us
Because I am so ridiculously early all the time, it’s hard for me to imagine what it’s like to be late. I don’t know how people do it, because I am such a hot mess of anxiety if I am running even the slightest bit off schedule. I’m even a little jealous?
You’ve got a lot of time to catch up on social media
Smartphones are basically the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I now have an endless supply of things to look at, and they have dramatically reduced the number of awkward interactions I have. I can catch up on all my feeds, read articles, and answer emails while I’m waiting. Whether it’s a doctor’s appointment, job interview, or coffee date, I get to look like I’m doing something important instead of making awkward eye contact with the people around me while I wonder if they know that I’m an hour early for whatever thing it is. It’s also a perfect time to catch up on text messages and phone calls. My mom knows me so well that when I call her, her first question is “how much longer will you be waiting?” She really gets me.
We honestly don’t mean to be so early, but it sometimes works out
Sometimes I get in and out of an appointment before the time my appointment was even supposed to start. Then I have extra time in my day to do whatever I want, like binge watch “Making A Murderer”. I also just get to relax about stuff, in general. If I get to a friend’s house for a party too early, I can help set up or run out and get something they forgot. If I get to a movie that doesn’t start for 45 minutes, it doesn’t matter that there’s a huge line at the box office. I also get my first pick of seats, because there is absolutely no one in the theater. It’s not all bad! Even if it is, sometimes, a little awkward.
[Image via NBC]
