(David Benedetti) If you ask many foreigners about Italians and time, you will probably hear the same
answer: they are always late. Trains are missed, dinners start “around eight-ish”, and
the famous Italian “five minutes” can easily become fifteen. Sometimes twenty. On
special occasions, thirty.
But the truth is slightly different. Italians are not bad with time. They simply have…
a more creative relationship with it.
In many cultures, time is something you must chase all day. You run after it, organise
it, divide it into precise little boxes. In Italy, time is more like a polite guest:
important, of course, but not someone who should dominate the entire conversation.
Take the expression “arrivo subito” — “I’ll be right there.” For a foreigner, this
sounds like a clear promise. For an Italian, it simply means that the journey toward
your location has been emotionally approved. The physical movement will follow
soon. Probably.
Of course, Italians can be perfectly punctual when necessary. Nobody arrives late for
a job interview, a doctor’s appointment, or Sunday lunch at their grandmother’s
house. Being late in those situations would be socially dangerous.
But everyday life follows a slightly different rhythm. A quick coffee at the bar may
last thirty seconds… or twenty minutes, if someone starts talking about football,
politics, or the tragic decline in the quality of modern cappuccino foam.
So yes, Italians sometimes appear relaxed about time. But perhaps it’s not
carelessness. Perhaps it’s a quiet decision: if time and life start fighting, life should
win.
And honestly, if you have ever spent a long Italian dinner with friends, you may start
to suspect they have a point.
