Why I'm Always Late (It's the Maple Syrup)
It's been a mystery for decades: Why do Canadians always seem to be late? We've all been there—showing up to work 15 minutes after the bell, missing our 10 AM meeting, or "just finishing up" on the 12th hour of a 3-hour project. Well, I've finally cracked the code!
It's not laziness. It's not bad time management. It's the maple syrup theory of time perception!
As you know, maple syrup is collected by tapping into sugar maple trees in late winter. The sap flows slowly, just like Canadian time. When you drink maple syrup (especially the fancy Grade A Amber color), your brain starts to perceive time differently. You become aware of the slow, steady flow of the sap, and suddenly 5 minutes feels like 20.
My friend Gary was late for his dentist appointment this morning. When I asked why, he said: "I was just trying to get the last drop of syrup from the bottle. It was like watching paint dry... but with more flavor!"
Scientists at the University of Toronto (a very prestigious institution, not to be confused with the University of Toronto that's actually in Toronto) have confirmed this. They conducted an experiment where volunteers drank maple syrup and had to time how long they thought 1 minute was. The results? They all thought 1 minute was 2.3 minutes!
So next time you're late to a meeting, don't blame yourself. Blame the syrup. And if you're still early, just eat more maple syrup to get into Canadian time. It's a win-win!