Africans have a serious problem of always being late and it is hindering us from moving forward. It is a cause for concern. In some cases it is fashionable to be late but definitely not a fashion to boast or brag about. Being late is the character of a lazy, un-organized and discombobulated individual.
This has fast become a part of our entire community and desperately needs to be addressed. Is it life threatening? The answer is NO. Is it a habitual problem? YES. Does it benefit us as a community? I say “Absolutely NOT”.
Sometimes it is referred to as “African Time” but I will label it a disease and name it “Africans Always Late Syndrome” (AALS).
This disease runs widely through the African community. Do I hear a guilty laugh? Are you one of those that fall in the 90% group diagnosed with this syndrome?
Think about it …
How many times did you wake up at 6am (giving yourself an extra hour) to get ready for work and did not leave your house until 7:55am despite the fact that you have to be at work at 8am?
How many times did you ever have the pleasure of seeing the bride and groom actually arrive on time to their own wedding ceremony?
How many times did you ever make it on time to your doctor’s appointment?
How many times did you tell a friend or date that you were on your way when you know damn well that you still needed to hit the shower?
How many times have you shown up for party two or more hours later than the time it was scheduled to begin?
How many flights have you missed and convinced yourself it was traffic when you know you could have planned better?
I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. This is not to you Africans who are almost always on time but I can bet that your boyfriend, husband, girlfriend or wife, brother or sister should be reading this article. Yes, I mean the one who runs late to almost every event.
AALS (African Always Late Syndrome) poses a potential problem in our African community and hinders our growth in a society where time is money.
Imagine not being chosen for a lead position at your job because you are always 2 minutes late for work. You think people don’t notice? They do.
Imagine always coming late to church. You think it’s cool to make a grand entrance? Not in the eyes of the Almighty God!
You just might be late for your own salvation and miss your opportunity into the Promised Land.
Imagine arriving late on your first date with a friend or someone of interest. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
How about that job interview? Being late could easily ruin your chances.
What we owe each other is respect
We cannot keep expecting that everyone else will be late to a function. No matter how you see it, it is a bad habit. We need to reflect within ourselves in order to fix this problem of time and lateness and not dwell on the fact that Africans are always late so it’s acceptable, because it is not.
I don’t know about you, but I hate waiting on people so I don’t make them wait on me. This is about respecting someone else’s time.
If you say you will meet someone at 3pm, be there at 3pm. If you show up at 3:30pm, then you show no respect for the other person’s time.
They could have been doing something else other than waiting for you.In a worst case scenario, if you try your best to be punctual and circumstances simply don’t permit you to be on time, then call the waiting party and be honest as to where you are as well as when you think you might arrive. That is showing respect.
It is time we realize that little things such as AALS (Africans Always Late Syndrome) can lead to bigger issues that might not be solvable. I will like to challenge all of you reading my point of view to go to your next event on time. Do not be late.
I’m sure many other people will like to learn about your on-time experience so drop a comment below
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