It is said timing is everything. There is much truth to this saying as I discover each day. Take, for example, the time when I reached my destination and began the familiar circling exercise in search of a parking space. Hope died a natural death as space was at a premium.
Resigning myself to a long walk, I eventually parked my car about half a kilometre (OK, this is somewhat exaggerated but it did feel that long under that relentless sun) from where I needed to be. Visibly wilting under the merciless glare and strength sapped by the humidity, I neared the workplace after what seemed like a marathon trek when I discovered not one but two free parking spaces.
Convinced I was seeing double, I blinked several times just in case this was a mirage. We do live in the desert you know. Then the dilemma began. Should I or shouldn't I? Was it worth my while retracing my steps and bringing my car to this convenient spot? Or would my mad dash see someone else overtake me for that precious place? As I stood there weighing the pros and cons of my options, a car drew up and neatly slipped into what I considered my 'find'.
That's when the importance of timing struck me. Had I started out from home a mere five minutes later, the person heaving a sigh of relief at having found parking so close to the office could have been me. What a difference a few moments can make.
This observation was brought home to me as a child when one found oneself arriving last when some limited goodies were being given away. Or if there was enough for everyone, you were not the lucky person to get first dibs simply because of a tardy arrival. That's when the self-admonition began. If only I hadn't stopped to tie my shoe laces... Or if only I had run that much faster.
An impeccable sense of timing is what makes the difference between a well narrated joke and one that falls flat. The first kind is that which evokes spontaneous laughter and appreciation while the other leaves the listeners with feelings of frustration and disappointment.
And have you ever had the experience of going on a shopping spree in a rare moment of extravagance only to discover that the 50 per cent discount begins the next day? Each time you wear a particular piece of clothing bought that day, you imagine how you could have ended up with ten items instead of five.
Detrimental
A premature arrival can also be detrimental to your health. This is especially true when you heed a call from the parents to "come here" and no names have been named. Being an optimist you race to the finishing line only to be met with a handing out of a task or chore that you could have avoided altogether if you had turned a deaf ear to that fervent plea.
"You're just the person I've been looking for" are ominous words you don't want to hear as they can make you wish you had waited a while before arriving at this particular destination. Usually they precede a request or favour, refusal of which would make you look churlish.
Or there's the time you enter a room just as the mysterious disappearance of a certain object such as a big box of chocolates, a huge tub of ice cream or a leg of lamb is being discussed. You might have your own theories regarding the loss but somehow your premature presence is seized upon as proof of your complicity in the crime of culinary theft. You may protest your innocence but in vain. The amateur sleuths are convinced of your guilt merely because you turned up just as the subject was under debate.
So, how does one go about developing the skill of being in the right place only at the right time? Is some kind of sixth sense required? A gut feeling that makes you tarry a while longer before venturing where angels fear to tread? I would like some answers here.
