I was reading a blog post from a former classmate named Megan today. (You can learn all about her at http://meganbosticbooks.com/) She was describing her weekend and all of the tasks left on her To Do list. This got me thinking about my own To Do list. It is amazing how there is never enough time to accomplish everything, no matter how organized you are or how gifted a multi-tasker!
This weekend. I expected to get produce canned and dehydrated, laundry done, and a few more boxes unpacked. I also wanted to search for some sample materials that I am overdue in sending to a publisher. This was in addition to a few hours of volunteer work and running what turned out to be a soggy 10K on Sunday. Did I accomplish my goals? I have a sink full of dishes, a dining room stacked to the curtain rods with totes, and three baskets of dirty laundry that multiply daily. I still have produce to deal with before the fruit fly colony gets any bigger! I also am longing for a few days of sun to return to dry out the outdoor furniture cushions and umbrella before storing them because Summer coming to an abrupt end was definitely not factored in to my list-making and now those chores must be added. To add to all of the chaos, what we thought would be a simple carpet tear out and concrete floor staining led to the discovery of a major ant infestation and structural damage. Going from owning 1,400 square feet to renting 895 due to forclosure was hard, but to suddenly have that space cut down by another 200 square feet at the time of year that we spend the most time indoors-CRAZY!! I do have a fabulous landlord, and hopefully he and his insurance company will get it worked out soon. Hmmm, I guess at least dealing with everything to get the room in shape for me to unpack the rest of our stuff does not have to go on my To Do list?
If there is one thing I appreciate about what my friends share in blogs and on Facebook, it is all of the happenings that seem to prove that no one has a life that follows a perfect road map. My friend Sandra is spearheading all of the Girl Scout efforts in her county and cutting back on other things that are important to her because other people are not willing to take on responsibility. My fiscally responsible friend Michelle, with a new boyfriend, fit physique, and lovely home is recovering from a stroke at 42. Megan Bostic's dream of becoming a published author is coming true, yet she still has activities to shuttle her girls to, a household to manage, and lots of hoops left to jump through. The lesson in all of this--it is all about perspective. People say you should not compare your life to the lives of others; I say compare away. I can only be truly grateful for what I have if I recognize what other people do not have. Watching others reach for their dreams, such as a certain Ms. Lillian starting up a dessert truck with her vegan delights, well, it makes me want to make my dreams a reality as well.
My on-line life leads to both appreciation and aspiration, synergy if you are in to that kind of thing. Thanks for the perspective my friends. Please keep the blogs and posts coming because it is much cheaper and way more interesting than therapy could ever be. Now, thanks to all of you, it is time to toss away my road map and revise my To Do list. I think I will start by adding "enjoy life" and "compost rotting produce" in pen and jotting the rest down in pencil. Hope you can make some changes to your To Do list today too!
This weekend. I expected to get produce canned and dehydrated, laundry done, and a few more boxes unpacked. I also wanted to search for some sample materials that I am overdue in sending to a publisher. This was in addition to a few hours of volunteer work and running what turned out to be a soggy 10K on Sunday. Did I accomplish my goals? I have a sink full of dishes, a dining room stacked to the curtain rods with totes, and three baskets of dirty laundry that multiply daily. I still have produce to deal with before the fruit fly colony gets any bigger! I also am longing for a few days of sun to return to dry out the outdoor furniture cushions and umbrella before storing them because Summer coming to an abrupt end was definitely not factored in to my list-making and now those chores must be added. To add to all of the chaos, what we thought would be a simple carpet tear out and concrete floor staining led to the discovery of a major ant infestation and structural damage. Going from owning 1,400 square feet to renting 895 due to forclosure was hard, but to suddenly have that space cut down by another 200 square feet at the time of year that we spend the most time indoors-CRAZY!! I do have a fabulous landlord, and hopefully he and his insurance company will get it worked out soon. Hmmm, I guess at least dealing with everything to get the room in shape for me to unpack the rest of our stuff does not have to go on my To Do list?
If there is one thing I appreciate about what my friends share in blogs and on Facebook, it is all of the happenings that seem to prove that no one has a life that follows a perfect road map. My friend Sandra is spearheading all of the Girl Scout efforts in her county and cutting back on other things that are important to her because other people are not willing to take on responsibility. My fiscally responsible friend Michelle, with a new boyfriend, fit physique, and lovely home is recovering from a stroke at 42. Megan Bostic's dream of becoming a published author is coming true, yet she still has activities to shuttle her girls to, a household to manage, and lots of hoops left to jump through. The lesson in all of this--it is all about perspective. People say you should not compare your life to the lives of others; I say compare away. I can only be truly grateful for what I have if I recognize what other people do not have. Watching others reach for their dreams, such as a certain Ms. Lillian starting up a dessert truck with her vegan delights, well, it makes me want to make my dreams a reality as well.
My on-line life leads to both appreciation and aspiration, synergy if you are in to that kind of thing. Thanks for the perspective my friends. Please keep the blogs and posts coming because it is much cheaper and way more interesting than therapy could ever be. Now, thanks to all of you, it is time to toss away my road map and revise my To Do list. I think I will start by adding "enjoy life" and "compost rotting produce" in pen and jotting the rest down in pencil. Hope you can make some changes to your To Do list today too!
Hey Mary, thanks for stopping by the blog and the shout out. I must say though, I feel like a wuss crying about my to do list after reading yours. LOL.
ReplyDeleteKeep on writing!