There are worse things

There are worse things than being late in this world.
Just talked to the sweetest girl, who always says she's running late and who always seems to get a lot of crap from her friends and the world around for being late.
I smiled in understanding, I know I've been there... trying to push myself into biking down the street faster than the ticking clock
in order not to arrive late for a nice gathering. Nice gathering being also pressure into arrival at 5 sharp, if 5ish has been the plan.
Then I realised enough to tell myself that
if I sat a bit longer at my kitchen table than I was supposed to; if I sat staring out or felt like listening to another song; was still talking to a friend; was still writing a letter or reading a post; if I walked by someone in the street that greeted me and we exchanged some words, even just a few seconds more than a smile

why would I have to apologize for arriving twenty minutes past
if the ones I am meeting know that we'll meet; know that there are people and lives; know that there is no death from having to wait - or is it even waiting? What kind of existence is it if someone's late only in your own opinion?
That's when I told myself that I refuse to take on the guilt that is put on me by using the word late.

Being late is no excuse. Not leaving on time is no excuse. Not going on purpose is not changing anything, and if there's someone waiting for you, turning sour over you not being there on time... is it because they want you so badly
is it because they can't wait to see you
is it because they're realising there are things they still can't control?
is it because you're letting them know that there can be change?

I don't arrive forty minutes off agreed time for meetings that take away time from others, that's not what I'm saying.
I just don't agree that there's a right for some people to try to keep someone else under control, by any sort of guilt trip.

Stay brave and give yourself the time you need, what else do you think your life is about?