“To be on time is to be late, to be early is to be on time”

Nicole learned this proverb from her father as a child. She suspects that he picked it up from being a sailor in the U.S Navy. Punctuality is highly prized both in the military services, and, by extension Nicole’s family. It has really been a phrase to live by for her, and she has tried to instill habits of punctuality in her own family, with mixed results.

This proverb makes sense in the context of military personnel and their families. Military efficiency is based firmly in precision, accuracy, and punctuality. Being late could cause a disaster. Even in a civilian life, this proverb can be indicative of the fast-paced American life, with schedules so packed full that to be just on time is not enough.