Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Who Doesn't Love Swiss Trains

When I was backpacking around Italy, sometimes a 3pm train departed at 3pm. Sometimes it was a bit later. Sometimes, it was a lot later. Never early, which is good, because that would have screwed things up for a lot of people. But when I travelled through Switzerland (the most expensive 24 hours of my European adventure) everything ran on time.

I love Italy. Trains that are sometimes late do not make me love it less; how could it. But I love it when trains run on time.

When someone is on time, it says that they value your time at least as much as their own. When someone is late they are saying to you that their time is more important than yours. When you show up late, people aren't immediately thinking you are a jerk. They are thinking that you showed up late because you think they are jerks.

Then they think you are a jerk.

When students hand in work late to me, it is likely caused by one of two things.

1.) They lack confidence in their work and their abilities
2.) They don't feel the need to hand it in on time.

Say what you will about kids' organizational abilities; if it were concert tickets, they would be johnny-on-the-spot early!

Gotta go. I have to be on time for teaching class.

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