Better late than never is a phrase I often use when I have been procrastinating, but I've been thinking about it recently and wondering if that's always true.
Hopefully, I didn't plant the broccoli too late.
This week, I finally planted broccoli. I was late on this task, as evidenced by the fact that it took me several stores before I could find any plants. I found myself saying, "Well, better late than never." Is that true? Will we get any broccoli before it gets too hot and the cabbage butterfly worms devour the plants? This is very much a wait-and-see exercise to see what the weather will be like over the next couple of months. Here's hoping for the best.
Then we were doing some much-needed cleanup in our garages, including a winter's worth of dust and debris. I should have been wearing a mask for this task, but I didn't think about it until I started coughing. By this point, I could have put on a mask, but I was done with the sweeping. Would a mask have helped at this point? Maybe, but I think in this case, maybe it wasn't better late than never. It was more of "shutting the door after the cow was already out of the barn."
Sarah, on one of the mornings I spent with her.
In another instance, I had finally arranged to meet with Sarah and her mother after not seeing them for a few years. Sarah is a special needs young adult whom I used to buddy with at church. COVID changed all of that. I think this is the perfect example of better late than never. However, I decided I should also invite another friend of Sarah and her mother. I've been meaning to call this friend and meet up for a couple of years, but I've been putting it off. Turns out she lives in Michigan now. Procrastination this time does not lead to a better late than never situation. Never say never, but I will probably not see this friend again.
What did I conclude from this reflection on the idea of better late than never? I'm not sure, except that procrastination is usually not your friend. 😦
I think you should be able to harvest some broccoli before it gets too hot, although it has been a strange season. Glad you were able to meet up with Sarah, and I'm sure she enjoyed the time together. Sorry that your other friend has moved though. Hope you are feeling ok, and the dust didn't cause any problems. I think better late than never is a pretty good philosophy. :D
ReplyDeleteAt the last minute, Sarah cancelled because she was sick. However, we are scheduled again for this weekend. The coughing cleared up quickly, thankfully.
DeleteI am going to have to agree with you. As a professional procrastinator, the only thing better late than never is human interactions.
ReplyDeleteOn our trip, we connected with people we hadn't seen in 30 years. And it was definitely, better late than never.
DeleteMy hand is up! Very good at putting off things I dislike doing.
ReplyDeleteWhen I retired last year, I thought I would finally get to all the projects I had been putting off. Well, even with more time, I haven't done them because I didn't want to in the first place. :)
DeleteUsually it is better late than never unless someone moves far away.
ReplyDeleteI agree that usually it is better to be late than never, but sometimes the results of being late are not worth the effort.
DeleteMichigan is a very nice place to visit!!!
ReplyDeleteI think that most of the time, better late than never is a true statement. There are always exceptions, of course.
I was thinking about that. It's been a long time since I've been there. :)
DeleteIt all depends on what we are procrastinating on, doesn't it? With certain things, it's better late than never, before the opportunity to do them goes away. With other things, however, it doesn't really matter. I do hope that you are able to harvest some broccoli. If not, broccoli leaves make good leafy greens. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good way to look at it. If I don't get broccoli flowers, I can enjoy the greens.
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