MODERN FABLES, Courteous, Ch. 20, "On Time or Else"

                                           CHAPTER 20: ON TIME OR ELSE

"Rick, what's the matter?" Tess asked at dinner that night.

"Oh, nothing."

"Sure, there is," his dad commented. "You've been glum since I got home."

His mother put her hand on his shoulder. "What's bothering you?"

"I got a letter saying I won't be considered for Trailblazers' Camp counselor this summer because I sent my application two days late. It doesn't seem fair."

His dad looked up from his meal. "Why don't you think it was fair?"

"I was only two days late. How much difference can that make?"

Tess wanted to know why he was late at all.

"They required an essay, and it took longer than I planned to get it just right."

This sparked a conversation that lasted quite a while. His dad told Rick about missing out on a college scholarship because he sent his application a day or two late, and how it taught him a lesson he never forgot. Mrs. Williams commented that she had to be at school before classes started each day, and that deadlines were important. She said she was strict about deducting points for late papers in her classes.

Tess thought the camp was being too strict, but both parents agreed that deadlines are needed and that it's unfair to let others send their applications late without penalty, even though they mailed theirs on time.

Mr. Williams added, "The other thing about this is that you either didn't give yourself enough time, or you fussed over the essay too much. While it's good to do careful work, nothing is ever quite perfect, and sometimes close enough is good enough."

Mrs. Williams offered to help Rick with the next essay he needed to write, but Rick said he didn't want someone else to do what he was responsible for, although he'd appreciate it if she read it over once he was done to help him catch any errors.

By this time, Tess and Tim felt left out of the conversation and headed into the living room to watch television. They were sorry to discover that the long dinner conversation meant they'd arrived late for their favorite program. Tess and Tim both agreed that next time, "On time…or else!"

Moral: Don't waste other people's time by being late yourself.