Orange Slice or Punctuality

As I was pulling out of the SBC parking lot the other day to drive my leaky car to work, I stopped to pull a slice of orange from the half that sat in my lap. In the brief moment that it took to peel the slice off and place it in my mouth I had missed my opportunity to turn right. Like the shutes at a race track, the light at 76th Street had turned green and released the horses. I was brutally close to being late for work already and so as I sat there waiting for the chute to close again I thought to myself, "Why did I peel the orange now." I could have easily done it a minute (or even ten seconds later) and I would've been on my way to work. Instead I was delayed as I looked over my shoulder for the opportune time to make my way onto the race track. Then it dawned on me...the orange tasted good. In my haste to feed my own desires, I had caused myself to be late to work. Was eating a slice of orange better than being on time to work...of course not, but at the time all I wanted was the juicy necter in my mouth.

This is just a small example of what we do on a daily basis. We foresake what we know is better for immediate gratification. I was dissapointed with myself. No so much that I was a couple minutes late (no one even noticed), but that I didn't even think about it. I didn't even think of what was more profitable; I just ate. It made me wonder how many better choices I overlook on a daily basis for the sake of instant gratification...