I am sorry, but to get yelled at for being minute, a single minute, late for work just drives me crazy. Whether it is a paper, showing up to work, or meeting a friend for coffee, a minute is a minute. Even five minutes. There is so much that happens in peoples lives, and I just do not understand why being late is the end of the world.

Time is a socially constructed concept. Noon to you may not be noon to me.

A minute can save someone's life. When you discourage always rushing, you encourage safe driving, a life without anxiety, and guilt for that matter. We are all human. There are so many things we do during the day. I work two jobs. I am usually involved in too many things during the school year, and I try to see as many friends as I can in my 24-hour day.

No one understands everything about what you do during the day. To always be on time means you are wasting time. I fit as much as I can in each day, and I do not regret it. I may feel the guilt sometimes, and I may now have a reputation for always being at least five minutes late, but at least I am making the most of my time.

It is too hard to explain to anyone that sometimes I have two breakfasts to see people, run to one job and another, and end up staying up most nights to get all the work I was supposed to do during that day while the world is asleep. I always say, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

I used to always be early. My ice hockey coach always emphasized, "to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, and to be late is unacceptable," but it is acceptable, and I encourage you to do it.

But why is it unacceptable? What is the big deal about being even ten minutes late? Is it really the end of the world?

No.

So, stop feeling guilty. Stop rushing. It is not worth it. I promise you.

I now have numerous speeding tickets, I have endangered my life too many times to count, and could never do anything to the best of my ability.

I had a boss who finally allowed me to slow down. It wasn't that he didn't care, but he cared more about my well being than he did about those five or ten minutes. He understood I was a student, and that I was being pulled in a million and one directions.

My motto: to be early means you need to go get yourself a coffee, to be on time means you woke up on time, congrats, and to be late means you are doing your best to make the most of each waking moment.

Live your life to the fullest, and you do not need negative, inhumane people in your life.