one more...

"Give me one more minute." "Let me try one more time." "I'm just going to have one more slice of pizza." "I'll put off exercise just one more day." We are a nation obsessed with also wanting one more of something. We are never satisfied. The problem is that "one more" almost always leads into "two more" and so on. It's like the old joke where a guy drove past a gas station and saw a sign that read "Free Gas Tomorrow." The next day, the man excitedly entered the gas station ready for his free gas. When he told the gas attendant what he was there for, the attendant informed him that he couldn't have free gas today. As the sign read, the free gas was for tomorrow. It's really only a little like this, I just like that joke and wanted to squeeze it in. Anyway, I realized how guilty I was of this once when I was playing Guitar Hero III. I was trying to play all the songs on the Easy level perfect. Every time I messed up, the other people playing would be ready for their turn, but I would say, "Let me just try one more time." Over ten tries later, I finally gave up my turn. I also thought about how when I say "One more minute," I usually stretch it into 5-10. This is how my conversations usually go: Polly - "Michael, can you run out and get some milk?" Michael - "Give me a minute." [5 minutes later] Polly - "Are you going to go get the milk?" Michael - "I will. I already told you, I just need a minute." [5 minutes later] Polly - "I'm leaving to go get the milk. I'll be back in a few." Michael - "You're not going. I told you I will do it and I will do it." [Michael finally leaves] Imagine if we were all just more honest about our intentions. My conversation with Polly would look more like this: Polly - "Michael, can you run out and get some milk?" Michael - "Well, I'd tell you to give me a minute but I'm probably going to loaf around and stall until you guilt me into it, so really it's your call." Polly - "Fine, you sit there and stay comfortable. I'll get the milk." Michael - "I'm going." Actually, I think I prefer the first scenario. I had more loafing time.