…goes flowing like a river

…is money

…passes

…’s a’wastin’

One thing is sure:  it means something different to each of us. Most cultures have their own ways of using it, valuing it, or respecting it.  In America, we’re punctual but often “stylishly late.”   And the waiter better be there with our glass of water before our butts hit the chair.  In Japan, I’d arrive 5 minutes early and apologize for being late.  Mexicans have manaña.  For Ghanaians, it flows.  Tomorrow will come.

I’m sitting in a café a little ways from the SEED center.  My colleague and I thought we’d get some take out for lunch.  Something different from the expat-favored Deli France – which is a great place to get some good, familiar fare, but the only thing local is the staff.  I’ve long since sent her back to the center where she had to catch a one o’clock meeting, promising I’d bring back the take out.  When we ordered, I knew it was futile to explain that we really needed the food quickly because we had meetings.  But I had to try.  45 minutes later, it looks like something might be happening…

Many Ghanaians get frustrated by this too.  The man across the restaurant has long since finished his grilled fish (he came in well after me, but okay) and is now on his cell phone arguing with a business associate about how unacceptable it is that he’s late for the meeting.  I’ve overheard quite a few boss/employee or client/supplier conversations that were similarly heated.  So it varies, but the needle is more towards the “it’ll happen when it happens” end.

I related this aspect to a very close relative of mine – how we’d been trained that it’s not uncommon for your contact to be over an hour late.  That you’d call to check and they’d say they were almost there and traffic was bad – but they hadn’t yet left the house.  She informed me very matter-of-factly that I should get them to change because it was an impediment to business.  Maybe so, but that’s a tall order for just me.

I’m not sure there is a “best” way.  I’m learning more about this way every day.  The idea of flow is very compelling to me.  We wrote down our personal and professional objectives during one of our training sessions.  The top of my list was “learn patience.”  It’ll be a stretch. My Ghanaian friends laugh and tell me I’ve come to the right place.  Linda, you’ve never made me late once in 36 years, yet you put up with my pacing around before an outing.  Maybe I’ll fret a bit less.  And kids, you can stop smirking right now.

I sure am hungry.