Temporal Management

I don't remember having a different sense of time from my parents when I was a teenager, but that doesn't mean I didn't - funny thing time, if I did, how would I know? Time perception being what it is would blind me from it.

After school my children sometimes ask me to ferry them across town to visit with various friends or to bring them to our house assuring me their parents will pick them up when they get off work. Its all good.

Until it isn't. One day, as we were already out and about on other business, I suggested we stop by a friend's house to see if he could come over. My son exited the car, rang the doorbell, went inside...and never came back out. About 15-minutes later I rang the doorbell and inquired about him. Once in the car, I laid out my future expectations so there would be no butthurt:

"Can you come over to my house for awhile and have your dad pick you up later?"

"Yes" --> Great, let's go!
"No" ---> Sorry to hear that, maybe next time, I've got to go!

Then there is my daughter's friend who invites her over, but then isn't *actually* home. When this happens and we're able to raise her on the phone (a damn rare thing in and of itself) its always, "Wait for me, I'm almost home."

Of course I've learned to not do that either, because some preteen's idea of "almost home" once again butts against my expectation.

Most of the time we operate like a well-oiled machine.

Not always.