Do you have a friend who...

Do you have a friend who cannot make up his or her mind when it's time to order at a restaurant? This friend peruses the menu for at least 10 minutes, and when the waitress comes over and asks everyone at the table if they are ready to order, they all nod yes. Then she proceeds to ask your friend what she would like. Your friend decides to take this very moment to begin playing 50 questions, "What's in this dish? Is it made with real or imitation meat? What quantity of food do you get with this dish? Is it a large dish? What about this other dish? Do a lot of people like this one? Do you like it? What side dishes are available? Can I substitute apple sauce for green beans? Meanwhile the waitress is trying to remain calm and polite, but she really wants to throttle your friend because the place is extremely busy and her tables are full.

How about the friend who is chronically late? The friend that, if you want him or her to be there at 3:00 p.m., you had better tell that person to be there at 2:30 because he or she runs about a half an hour behind everyone else. Your friend just cannot be on time for anything, even when it is an extremely important event (like work???) and people are counting on this person. It's not just a matter of 10 minutes late, but usually thirty minutes to sometimes as much as an hour late, and it's not just once in a while, but every single time the two of you get together.

Having friends means loving and accepting them even if they have odd behaviors such as these, right? We joke around with them and tease them for being untimely and taking forever to order their food. Sometimes we even get upset with them, but we still come back for more because having friends is one of the best parts about life.

I used to think people who behaved like this did so on purpose, gaining some personal satisfaction out of inconveniencing others. However, I realized as I got older and more mature that they don't even realize their habits sometimes disturb and inconvenience others. If you don't believe me, then the next time your friend is late or takes 5+ minutes to order food, ask them why. They will usually either brush it off and never really answer the question, or they will say, "I don't know." If you get angry at them, most times they will apologize, but they will just do it again the next time. The best way to handle friends like these is to just accept their lack of respect for your time because you are not going to change them. If being late or indecisive is the worst thing about your friend, consider yourself fortunate and enjoy their other, more wonderful attributes.