A few people got upset with me on Sunday when I pointed out it was only nine months to Christmas.
What can I say, I like to plan things well ahead of time.
It’s something that came in handy a number of times when I was working for the Prince George Free Press. (OK, Bill, when I was employed by the Free Press. There was always some question about me working.)
I would be on my way to get a photo, usually one of a cheque presentation or something similar, and the time would be set for 2 p.m.
I would be there around 1:45, just because if I didn’t leave the office to get there early, I might get a phone call and end up late.
There were times where the people involved in the photo were also early, so I would set up a photo and be gone before the rest of the media got there. I didn’t mind, because it meant I got the photo and didn’t have to worry about having the same photo from the same angle as the Citizen.
I’ve found being early can be helpful in other ways. I have sometimes gotten to my doctor 10 or 15 minutes before my appointment, they’ve been free, and I’m out of there before my appointment was scheduled to start.
On the other hand, I have found most other people don’t share my idea of what “a few minutes early” means. I have been quietly panicking a few times at CFIS when my first guest for After Nine arrived at 8:55.
They were a few minutes early by most people’s definition, but not by mine.
I am learning, slowly, not to panic when it’s 8:50 and my guest isn’t there. Well, actually, what I do is panic at that point, so if they still aren’t there at 9, I have a plan in place for how to fill the time.
There’s no reason to panic at 9, because I already did that at 8:50, and got it out of the way.
