Why I get there early and wait in the car
It is 7:52. Dinner is at eight. Your car is parked fifty metres from the door, engine off, and you scroll while you wait for the hour to land.
You left early, just in case. In case of traffic, in case there was nowhere to park. Nothing went wrong, so here you are with eight spare minutes. You do not ring. You wait for the hour. And those eight minutes are often the calmest part of your evening, I have a soft spot for them: nobody needs anything from you, you are there and nothing has started yet.
Arriving right on time means arriving owing nothing. No heads lifting, no dish held back for you. So you build yourself these small waiting rooms: the car before dinner, the stairwell before the meeting, the two minutes before you click join. That is a lot of time spent getting ready to be acceptable to people who already love you. And the evening starts a little without you.
Arriving right on time means arriving owing nothing.
I was wondering…
What are you so sure you'd be taking from them, just by walking in before you're expected?