Promises, promises....

I did not go to church this past Sunday. I already broke the commitment that I just made only a few days prior. That's how that goes. We make plans, commitments, and promises and then we break them. It's very difficult to stay on schedule unless you're forced to, by some threat of disciplinary action. Like work. Be here at 7:30. Well, here's what the email said. "Please ensure that you are at your first assignment when the time on the schedules state. For example, if you begin at 8:30am it is the expectation that you are at your assigned location at 8:30am. If you have questions about this please let me know." Oh crap! My assignment begins promptly at 7:30 but I can't seem to do it. 7:32, 7:33 maybe, but never 7:30. Clearly, this multi-recipient email was for me. So I replyed, "My bad...I promise to be more punctual in the future! On that note, am I to report to the office to get assignments at 7:30 or am I to report a few minutes prior and be in my classroom, with my assignments at 7:30? I know it's only a matter of a few minutes but that's usually all I have. But I'm working on it. I promise.... Terese" A few minutes later, my phone rings. "Terese, I just read your email. I'm confused. Are you saying that you've been coming in late? I hadn't noticed. That email wasn't directed at you, but thank you anyway, for getting yourself in trouble." What???? I had a similar incident at the hospital last night. I tried skating out a little early, and ran, with my coat on and toting my backpack, straight into a supervisor. I cringed with embarrassment. But funny thing; a co-worker, sensing my dread, stepped up and broke into the most deliteful litany of reasons why I not only should not be disciplined, but rather promoted-an action that surely, a man of this supervisor's stature could achieve if he would only open his eyes and recognize the value of this underappreciated talent that was me! Imagine my disbelief when the boss started to defend himself! I stood there in stupor as the two went back and forth, a tango of debate focused on my merits and my supervisor's limitations. It was hysterical! Afterward, the the super asked me if I was truly that unhappy. Funny thing is, I'm not unhappy at all. I was just leaving early. Broken commitments. It doesn't mean you don't care. It sometimes just means that something else got in the way. And yet it bothers me. What if the commitment was me? What if the broken promise was the one that I believed in? The "something" that got in the way looks like a terrorist. The Osama Bin Laden of your hopes and dreams. And the breaker of the promises looks like a politician, a self serving liar, abuser of your trust. Would I rather they'd never committed at all? Of course not. I just wish that I was a little more important. A little less convenient to forget. But maybe that's what makes people outstanding- a promise kept, a commitment met, a goal acheived. Not letting that something else get in the way. That's what makes people unforgettable. I'm really going to try. I promise....