Cape Town = 90% mabye's!

I did a little social experiment this week. I was at a braai, and overheard a conversation between a Joburger and a Capetonian about our commitment issues, when it comes to planning our weekends! And come to think of it, its been bugging me how much people pleasing goes on around us every single day! So I decided to create a little "event" and see what the majority of the guest list optioned for. Now I am by no means exempt from this little experiment... I'm probably the biggest crook of all!

Anyway, so 182 invites went out at 9am this morning on our dear great and powerful Facebook (faithful arch enemy and best friend)! So by 9:45 - which is by in large the time that everyone has arrived at work/or their desk of sorts, waded through there friend requests, wall posts and inbox messages, scanned their list of event invites and settled in to have some coffee.

Now this is all before they have actually done the slightest thing about their real work - I might add! So its almost 12:45 and we have 8 confirmed guests, 13 maybes, 7 not attending and are awaiting the reply of 154 MIA's... So I'm having a little bet with myself... that in true Capetonian style the "maybe" list will have trebled come Friday afternoon, when everyone zootes off for the start of their weekend fiasco!

Now this is what I was talking about to begin with... its seems to be a little Capetonian trait... we are the biggest people pleasers that ever hit the face of the earth! Myself included! We love telling everyone who is willing to lend half an ear that we will "Definitely be there", "See you there", "Can't wait for blah blah blah" etc... It fascinates me! So that come the last minute, we have promised the world a Dollar when we only have a shilling for the jam jar! And trues Bob we'll probably end up doing something completely impulsive, that wasn't even on the list to begin with! Making ourselves the biggest MIA's of all! Correct me if I'm wrong here, but we are pretty ridiculous when you actually think about it. So in the end the only person we are actually pleasing is ourselves: cause everyone else will end up being miffed with our lack of attendance again!

Maybe its due to the nature of the arrangements. There only ever seem to be a handful of formal events: birthdays, dinners, weddings, funerals, anniversaries and awards where we actually have to give a serious confirmation. Otherwise everything else always seems to be quite casual, and impersonal? Maybe this flippant nature of organisation is what causes us to be so superficial in our commitment to "said event"? Or maybe its just our overzealous commitment to being everywhere at the same time - we are not super heroes people! (I know how temping that purple cape may look, note to self: Don't do it!!!) Hmmm... food for thought!

Post script: Ducks can be in several places at one time! Fact!