Is Rude the New Black?

I had a boss lady who once said “Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.” She would further explain that when you are late you are suggesting that your time is more important than others. I took this to heart and have made punctuality a staple in my daily practices. But alas, my recent fashion show on March 19th was slated to begin at 8:30 but didn’t get started until 8:47. My punctual self was having a quiet worry fest; while keeping a calm exterior I was panicking on the inside. My team of models and show coordinators were ready to go at 8:17, but somehow we failed to start on time.

Many fashion designers were once known for their late shows. Marc Jacobs had the reputation for being up to two hours late! In 2007 Anna Wintour, the famed editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine, left a show of his because of the extreme delay in his shows. But here’s the thing. The celebrities who were scheduled to attend the show were also late. So those of us in the audience waited patiently for the show to start, late or not.

While I try to live strictly by the clock, not everyone does. I understand we are all busy and have many obligations throughout the day, but really… No matter how many years a person has been driving I constantly hear the tired excuses of “traffic and parking” to excuse lateness. I’ve always wondered to myself, “You’ve been driving since you were 16 so how have you STILL not factored parking into your schedule?”

At my fashion show, a number of friends and guests found their way to their seats. But then photographs appear days later and I see beverages swishing in their hands, meaning they were already late for the show yet took the liberty of getting a celebratory drink along the way. Looking at those photos, I suddenly found a day sprinkled with poor manners flashing before my eyes. The people who do not stand to one side of the escalator or the sidewalk, the folks who throw cigarette butts on the ground just one or two feet from the butt catch, the people who toss their recyclables in the garbage can when it is connected to a recycling bin, the folks yelling at customer service reps as if these poor folks are responsible for the company’s policies.

Individualism is growing. The power of “I” and “me” is strengthening. But, as I learned at the ripe old age of five, the world unfortunately is not “Tim-o-centric” and does not revolve around me. We are all here fighting the good fight together. Our existence has to be a group effort. The old adage of “We are only as strong as our weakest link” is all the truer in a city where we as individuals are only as beautiful as our dirtiest street, as rich as our coldest homeless person, and as successful as our most recent high school drop out. We need to connect more to one another and see the repercussions of our actions.

I’m not suggesting I’m a saint by any means. I am an avid bicyclist so I am often unintentionally finding myself to be the worst part of a bus driver or random pedestrian’s day. We can all do better. It may be a fun exercise for a day to note how many other people are effected by our actions as we move through the city. How many times do we flush the toilet in one day and how does that effect the freshwater consumption limit? How much pollution do our cars add individually to the atmosphere? What is the decomposition rate of a cigarette butt, if any? How does our tipping or not tipping every member of the service industry effect their situation whether or not we think they did a good job? How many times did you thank people through out the day and make sure they know their presence is a positive addition to your day, week, life?

Every time we think “poor me” how can we turn that attitude around to find gratification in helping someone else who may be suffering? Use your energy from the turmoil you encounter and transform it into a random act of kindness. Let’s make rude behavior a fashion faux pas this spring season. Living sustainable is a great way to begin thinking about the big picture of a greater good.

In closing, please, for the sake of others around you. Be on time…Oh No! I’m late for my lunch date! See you next week!