Punctuality

I am not a punctual person.

By any stretch of the imagination.

I don't know when or why I got to be this way, but ever since I remember being responsible for getting myself places at a certain time, I've been late.

I just....don't pressure myself to be there at a certain time. My arrival time margin of error seems to be wider than most (although that would presume that I'm sometimes early so I guess the....positive side of my margin of error?). I'm not bad at estimating traveling time, quite good at it actually, I'm just bad at leaving when I need to leave.

I suppose I've found compounding evidence in the fact that the polychronic cultures I've visited haven't stressed me out in the least. If anything, it was freeing. I'll leave for the bus when I leave for the bus, and it comes when it comes. I'll show up for a meeting somewhere between 4-5 and the meeting will start somewhere between 4-5. This whole snap to it arrive on the dot precisely attitude just doesn't click with me.

And it's not a matter of disrespect. It's not a disregard for the person/place/thing I'm going to. It's not some subconcious avoidance of some place I don't want to be. It's not that I don't take things seriously. I just don't take TIME seriously. It's not you, it's time.

I've been having issues getting to my 9am class that's 20 min away on south campus (if you know me, you're probably cracking up right now because you know I'm physically incapable of waking before 10). The bus is usually late which means I'm usually late, but I've resisted walking because...idk just don't want to walk.

I recently check up on my grade and noticed the toll this has been taking on my grade. I knew I was losing attendance and participation points, but I'm a GREAT participator in class, if not one of the best, so I figured the damage for my showing up 3-8 minutes late for a 120 minute class was minimal.

Nope, my A&P grade is hovering around 60% right now, which means I just landed myself AT MOST a B+ in the class.

Is this fair? I understand that being present in class, for it's entirety, is important. But I mean, it's not like anything happens the first 10 minutes of class. I'm being grades sheerly on the principle of punctuality. Is that important enough to be held back from getting an A(-)? Why on earth is it THAT important?

Apparently my professor for the course, when asked what was up with my grade, remarked along the lines of, "I just don't get it....the kids that are late are usually the ones that sit in the back and don't talk, Cortney is GREAT in class but she's always late....I just don't get it."

Um. WHAT IS THERE NOT TO GET? I'M NOT A PUNCTUAL PERSON AND IT'S NOT AT ALL RELATED TO MY ATTITUDE TOWARDS YOU OR THE COURSE OR THE MATERIAL.

Why on earth is there an assumed correlation there?