A Lesson Learned

Some lessons just have to be learned the hard way. I was headed to a very important meeting and could not be late. The fact that I was already running behind made me agitated and sweaty (doesn't that sound pretty?) I got into my car and gave myself a once-over in the rear view mirror. My lovely coiffure had a huge spike sticking out of the side of my head. It was not there five minutes ago. Honestly.  I dashed back inside my house, found a hairbrush and tamed the beast.  Now I was really late so I hurried back to my car and took off. At the stop sign, I checked the mirror to make sure the hair was behaving only to discover the make up mistake. How did I miss all of this before? Most people would not view this as a problem but I am not most people. I am the kind of person that carries no make up in her purse. If it isn't lip balm, I just don't carry it. I was so late now that turning around to go home for a repair job was not an option. I desperately checked my purse for something--anything-- to salvage the disaster upon my face and Sweet Mother of Abraham, I had powder! I dropped the darned powder puff on my lap leaving a huge dusting of 'le creme au natural' on my dark slacks. I had to do something fast and I was getting more frustrated by the minute. I searched my car only to find a Nerf bullet and a mini marshmallow.

A dear friend always says 'use what you have and do what you know.'  Well, I've got a toy and some sticky food and I know that ain't gonna cut it. But what could I do?  I should have just left it alone but I didn't. I got pulled over for driving too slow and was caught applying cosmetics with a Nerf bullet.

I finally made it to the meeting with my dusty britches, wopsided makeup, a ticket and sweating with frustation. The time of the meeting had been changed so I was very, very early.

And here is the lesson: Sometimes slowing down just a little will save you time in the long run. It would have only taken a few minutes to look  in the mirror at the hair and make up. I would have caught the time change for my meeting if I had double checked my notes. I added to my chaos by mismanaging my time. The whole headache could have been avoided and instead of wasting 25 minutes, I could have spent ten minutes or less preventing it.