S M I L E

Share this post
"Lunch" "time"
kareneliot.substack.com

"Lunch" "time"

Neurotypical people accuse us of being difficult to understand! O.kay.

Nov 11, 2021
Share this post
"Lunch" "time"
kareneliot.substack.com

So I was just invited by a colleague to call in to see them 'late morning' and while appreciative of the invitation sent back an email pointing out this isn't a time and suggesting 11:00. Why is this an issue? Because 'lunchtime' or 'late morning' or 'close of play' are not times.

I accept and understand that all time is relative. I completely grasp how 'about 5 minutes' is an elastic concept. 'Tomorrow afternoon' though is a bit too elastic.

Let me make it totally clear: clocks (for example) measure time as 10:00, or 15:15. That's a time. Yes, it's a social construct. So is the idea of $1.55. But we can both agree and understand what 15:15 or $1.55 mean because we're using a shared frame of reference. Until someone comes up with a better idea why not let's use that system...?

Is lunchtime your lunchtime or mine? And what do either of those even mean? (What if I have “dinner” at lunchtime?) These might seem bizarre questions but please: give your neurodivergent friends and colleagues a break and suggest an actual time.

And as for 'close of play': work is not a baseball game. Few jobs are anywhere near that boring.

Share this post
"Lunch" "time"
kareneliot.substack.com
Comments
TopNewCommunity

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Karen Eliot
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing