6 Minutes Late

 6 minutes (literally) after UPS delivered a package  - I was walking up the 2 flights of stairs to my computer to let the person know it arrived – I received an IM from that person asking me if I have received the package.

 It was a little funny since I pride myself in not only telling others when a letter, card or package arrives but also thanking them for it and doing so in a timely manner – within 1 day.

There was only one time in the past several decades  (regardless of where in the US, Germany or Russia I was living at) that I was a little late in doing that. It was 20 years ago. That Summer I graduated High School, started my 1^st Summer (out of 4) working at an overnight Summer Camp for the mentally and physically disabled in New York) and had my Birthday in the same week.

It was a very busy week. I had to leave Counselor Orientation in order to go to school and take my Regents and Final Exams, find out if I passed them and then participate in Graduation Rehearsal. Then the day the first campers came I walked across the stage at SPAC and graduated – rushing back to camp to have Taps (Taps is where a Counselor is made to spend the night in the campers’ cabin to make sure they don’t have any behavior issues, take them to the Bathhouse or clean up any messes in their bed. If you had Taps you worked 22 hours a day.)

Counselors had no access to the Internet or cell phones at Camp. There was 1 Pay Phone we could use. Needless to say, I was 8 days late in both acknowledging and thanking friends and family that had given me Graduation and Birthday cards and presents. That is one time in the past several decades (and I still hear about the “long wait” to this day.)

I am still waiting for people to acknowledge they received things I sent them years later. For this year I have 5 people who I know they received my present and have not acknowledged anything to me.

It is a little annoying because my Mom always taught me to both acknowledge when someone takes the time to send you a card, letter or package right away as well as thanking them (in-person, over the Phone, by the Computer or by regular mail.)