For most of the past 200,000 years or so, humans have organized their lives around natural cycles of time determined by the rising and setting of the sun, the seasons, and phases of the moon.
In 1881, one fifth-grade lesson in McGuffey’s Readers concluded:
“The best laid plans, the most important affair, the fortunes of individuals, honor, happiness, life itself are daily sacrificed because somebody is behind in time.”
Advertising for the Electric Signal Clock Company in 1891 proclaimed:
“If there is one virtue that should be cultivated more than any other by him who would succeed in life, it is punctuality: if there is one error to be avoided, it is being behind time.”
In 1896, the advertising for the Blodgett Clock Company stated:
“Order, promptness and regularity are cardinal principles to impress on the minds of young people.”
In urban-industrial American culture, people who are late to work, meetings, or appointments may be characterized as social inferiors and possibly moral incompetents. Punctuality is associated with achievement and success.
How do you feel about punctuality? Are you a punctual person? Do you get irritated when other people are not punctual?
Welcome to Street Prophets Saturday. This is an open thread. You may be punctual with your comments or not. Feel free to talk about the important things in life: food, politics, cats, religion, dogs, weather, more food, drink, or what have you.