Not late enough

Indian Standard Time, so as the saying goes, is one hour behind Indian Standard Time. In culture where running late is considered fashionable and sign of importance, punctuality is thing of dreams. Ironically, lateness is an sin which punishes those who don’t commit it. Those on time in class must bear professor’s rage on those who aren’t on time. Those who are punctual in a meeting must waste their time waiting for others to join and work to start. Why we take pride in our lateness and cannot make an appointment in time is something I cannot know. What this does, and this is how vicious cycles goes, is that people who are punctual also learn to be late, for what will be they do being on time?

One thing that I admired most in USA was observance of time. A person who is five minutes late profusely apologies. When I returned to India I knew that this is price I must pay for being in my own culture. I knew it and I accepted it. Initially, always in false hope which was always shattered, I used to reach on time. Then I started going late. But I guess it’s not in my genes or something. However late I go, I seem to be one of the earliest and others go even later. Even when I have given up scruples about violating punctuality, my mental timing always makes me earlier than others. Consequently, I am always not late enough. I want to correct this notion of time in my mind, but cannot. Do you have tips? I honestly don’t care about going on time, but I don’t know how late I am supposed to go.