I rarely hear the word punctual being used nowadays. Does that mean people don't respect time? Yes, there's a 'new normal' but time hasn't changed. It's still 24 hours to make up a day.

My paternal grandfather was a very strict man. Since we lived in a compound, he was always around. Aside from watching over all his plants (he had a terrific green thumb!) because we kids loved playing with them, one of the things I remember most about him was being a stickler for time.

He wasn't just punctual or on time. Lolo had to be there way ahead of time. If they had to leave for somewhere at 8 o'clock, you can bet he's ready by 7:15! To avoid his wrath, if you were going with him, you had to scurry and get ready way ahead of time, too.

That was my earliest exposure to punctuality. My dad naturally picked up the habit. My mom? Well, it's like she grew up in another planet. You can tell her today what time you need to leave tomorrow, yet she'd still be late getting ready. And when she is, there has never been an occasion when she didn't have to go back to the house for one thing or another.

Incentive to be early

So, the 'being ahead of time' stuck with me. When I was going to school, especially when we only had to commute ( getting picked up by a school bus was a hassle) I remember being first or second when the school gates opened.

In high school, the habit became ingrained even more. I joined the Cadet Corps training and that demanded punctuality! I certainly didn't want to do additional push-ups and sit-ups because I was late.

And because 20 to 50 push-ups was not something I looked forward to, I also learned to run fast!

By the time I was in college, there were very few instances when I made it to class 'just in the nick of time'. That was usually because my next class was a building and several floors away from the first class. If I could choose a schedule that didn't require running to get to class, I always did. Even if it meant having an extra hour break.

As far as I can remember, I was always waiting outside of the classroom at least 15 minutes before the set time. That way I could a) have my choice of seats if it was free seating; b) rest and fan myself after beads of sweat trickled down my back; and c) have time to check any work that needed to be passed without having to rummage through my bag to bring it out.

Never late

This habit carried on until I started working. Always ahead of time. And I have never ever, to my recollection, been screamed at with "You're late!"

Here's the thing: I try to be punctual as much as possible because I value time. That's why we make schedules, so that we're there by the appointed time. I would rather be waiting for whoever I am meeting with rather than having to looked flushed and sweaty because of rushing and embarrassment for being late.

Besides, I respect time, mine and other people's. Their time, like mine, is valuable. And the best way to show that respect is to be there at the time we said we would be there.

Have I ever been stood up? Yes. And it was very, very annoying. Have I ever had to wait for an hour or more for someone? Oh yeah! By then I'd have gone to the bathroom to pee so many times for drinking too much liquid while waiting.

It's no fun, if ever you've had to wait forever for someone, when you agreed to meet at a certain time.

Little respect for time

Nowadays, I am appalled at my nephews and niece who show so little respect for time. Because they all attend online classes, they think it's okay to just wake up, and without even combing their hair or washing their faces, sit in front of the computer and start class.

It's very disappointing how even when you drill it into them, they still don't get the value of time, and being ON TIME.

Here's the thing: time is something you can never get back. Yeah you can turn back the hands of a clock, but not the time lost. There's this saying you can make up for lost time. Not really. Because the time that went by is gone. There may never be another opportunity or instance the same as the one you missed all because you did not respect time.

So, let's take stock of things. We don't know how much time we have on this planet. We must make the time we have count. Not necessarily for grand or dramatic things, just everyday things. More importantly, let us give time the respect it deserves. We just may be surprised at what we get out of it.