Sense of Urgency

“Hurry, Momma! Hurry! Hurry, Momma! Hurry!”

I’m not sure where she got this, but Claire has started pleading that we comply with her wishes in a quicker manner than normal. (The first time I wrote about it on the blog was when we went to get our flu shots, and she’d just started saying it a couple days before that.)

One of my biggest pet peeves is being told to hurry up, especially when I’m already hurrying as fast as I can. It’s not like I’m just sitting here twiddling my thumbs and watching the butterflies flit about outside my window. If I’m on a task, I’m on a task. Odds are, I’m already telling myself to hurry, so I don’t need to hear it again. And, although there is a fine line, at times, between the patience level of toddlers and husbands, I have found that it wouldn’t matter if I was in the middle of doing whatever it was that I’ve been asked to do; I am still prodded along with the fervent tone and incessant coaxing.

In my professional life, I’ve always had a sense of urgency. I rarely procrastinate. I may drag my feet at first, on occasion, but I really don’t put things off. It’s important to me to be on time. It’s important that I meet deadlines, regardless of whether I’ve set them myself or if they’ve been pre-determined.

I’m an independent contractor, so I get paid for what I complete. Obviously, the more I do, the more compensation I get, so it’s always been in my best interest to get things done. Now. Hurry! I don’t remember telling Claire to hurry, but I must have. Or, maybe she got that from her father. Or, maybe she can hear the voices in my head?

At times, her “Hurry, Momma! Hurry!” pleas are pretty comical. And, even though they are exasperating, it’s hard not to laugh. She’s learning how to express herself and get what she wants in this world, and that’s a pretty cool process to see.

Speaking of getting what you want, we’ve also continued our practice of the Magic Word. Claire has been saying “Please” for a while now, but she’s getting to the stage where she really understands the power it holds. It’s not just a filler-word you say along with something else. It can actually help you get something you want, quicker than you would have normally gotten it. And, if you haven’t noticed, we’re all about fast service around here.

Sometimes, she forgets the most important part of the request…the meat of the issue. What is it you want me to do? “Please, Momma! Hurry, Momma! Hurry! Please!” Please hurry up and do what? You left that part out, silly.

It doesn’t take her long to get back on track, and we move on to the next thing…not nearly fast enough, of course, but we do move on.