Timeliness is facet of discipline

THE EDITOR: A friend who lives in Trinidad, and I just returned from a performance of Handel’s Messiah. The concert hall seats about 3000. The ticket said “absolutely no late seating.” Now you must understand that this town I live in is being dug up all over the place to prepare for a major sports event in February, and for constructing a light rail transport system. The doors closed at 2.30 pm. One door reopened once for someone who needed assisted seating. The show began. The hall was filled. No cameras, no cellphones. Those are the rules. Not a phone rang, no one talked during the performance.

During the intermission, we wondered what would have happened at Queen’s Hall if such rules were strictly enforced. I was reminded of the time a few years back, when an American Airlines plane, cleared for take-off at Piarco, and with wheels already rolling, had to stop, and across the runway (before the new airport) came this family of five people huffing and sweating to get on the plane. Some on board booed. Do we follow rules laid down in the society for the good governance of all, or do we feel that some people (and this is a variable group) are above the rules? The first watchword given to us by our leader into independence was Discipline. Timeliness is a major facet of disciplined behaviour.

My friend and I speculated that if this was Queen’s Hall, about 70 percent of the people would be there on time, twenty percent would probably hustle in as the door was being shut, and the rest would set up such a ruckus outside about who pay dey money, that security would have to intervene, probably spoiling it for everyone else. In 2004, if every worker planned to arrive early on the job, and once there, do a full day’s work, production would increase significantly. You could simply teach more, sell more, create more widgets if you are on time, and thus in control of your situation. When we call the police and fire services, we want them there on time, immediately. Do we reciprocate? Timeliness should be our watchword. It’s disciplined behaviour.

LINDA EDWARDS
Port-of-Spain