Stauffer or Male Genes?

Several months ago Gerald got a passport and bought a ticket to fly to Haiti today. He is flying from Washington DC to Miami this evening where my brother Merle will meet him. They will share a motel room in Miami and fly to Port au Prince tomorrow morning. Merle speaks Creole and will shepherd him through Haitian customs. Someone will be there to pick up Gerald and take him north to La Souce where Merle's daughter, Bethanie, runs a clinic for Christian Aid Ministries. Merle will go south to Cadiac to have a seminar. He will leave Haiti on August 13 but Gerald will stay until 19th. He is scheduled to return to Washington DC at 12:45 a.m. on August 20--provided everything is on schedule, which it very well may not be.

Gerald will be helping Bethanie in the clinic while he is there. Nursing in a third-world country will be quite a switch from the high-tech 900 bed hospital where he currently works. I'm sure it will be a good experience for him and am glad he could go. It also helps that he has paid vacation days.

Since we have Leroy's company picnic this evening, Gerald asked one of his friends to take him to the airport and we will pick him up when he comes back. He worked from 6 p.m. last night to 6 a.m. this morning and got home around 7. He was going to take a nap but decided he better pack first. Good idea! Next thing I know he takes off and is gone until around 11. I'm pacing around at home wondering what is keeping him. Finally he comes back with a bunch of WalMart bags. He had to go shopping for supplies before he could pack!

And then, "Oh yes! I have to go to the bank yet and pay my bills." So he takes off again for the bank. While he is gone the friend shows up to take him to the airport. He is not only not at home but has not packed anything yet. Finally, about the time he said he wanted to leave, he starts packing. And then he needs to get a shower yet, write down some phone numbers, and . . . and . . . and . . .

I needed to do the weekly shopping today but decided right away this morning I am not going anywhere until he is packed and off. I don't care if he is almost 26, he still needs a mom at times like this. I didn't live with him 26 years without learning anything!

He knew months ago he was leaving today, so it was no surprise. Why did he wait until this morning to start packing? And worse, do his shopping? He did start making a list of things to pack on Monday, but nothing was actually put in a travel bag until a few minutes before the time he said he wanted to leave. I would have been having a fit if that had been me. I hate last-minute cramming to get things done.

So where does the procrastination come from? Is it from his Stauffer genes or is it just a guy thing?