#5, that I only just now realized, should be that I write embarrassingly long sentences.
Anyway, I am, indeed, obsessed with keeping track of my life. Obsessing with living it? Not so much. Obsessed with listing the things I completed even after I have completed them? Most definitely. And, honestly, this even applies to things that I meant to do but failed to do.
For example, my planner tells this story of today:
Tuesday, September 16
9:30-11a T'ai Chi
- type up EGSA meeting minutes
- read and respond to student papers
cupcakes?
8p House
It's spectacular, I know. But just hear me out. The t'ai chi I took care of. It was wonderful; I gathered and stored a lot of chi for the coming week. My hour and a half of t'ai chi is quickly becoming my favorite part of the week.
The EGSA (English Grad Studies Association) meeting was last week. I still have not typed up those minutes and oh, wait, I didn't even take notes at the meeting. Should be fun. So, as I've done the last five days straight, I'll just add that to tomorrow's list of things to do. And, let's be serious, I'm not going to do it then either.
The student papers. Ugh. I just finished the last one.
Cupcakes? I just want to bake them. I've fallen into the habit of baking cupcakes weekly. My fellow teaching assistants and classmates love it. I love the domestic bliss associated with the baking. However, I'm starting to worry that people will soon start refusing my cupcakes. That's the stuff of its own post though.
House - yeah, it's the show. I use the datebook function on my phone to store the premiere dates of my favorite shows. It's true. I'm just that lame. Lamer still, I went through my phone and added the premiere information to my planner so I'll be extra sure not to forget.
And Tuesday's are my off days, so just imagine what the rest of the week looks like. I'll tell you - it's not good. A lot of parentheses and arrows and question marks and notes with stars...
So why do I love to keep track of things? Why?
This is a question. I don't know why I do this. But my planner is only the latest in a life of chronicles. I have kept journals. About five actually. I have blogged. Four of those to my name. Here is the most embarrassing effort, in my opinion: I briefly kept a video journal. I sat down in front of my video camera and talked about my day. Gross. Who would ever be interested in that?!
Only God knows why I feel such a need to keep track of the most mundane life events, but so be it.
This weekend I decided that my 2" x 5" planner was just not cutting it. To Staples I go! No success. Apparently no one buys a 2008 planner in September. No tardy organizers? I can't imagine that. Whatever the case, I was forced to ruffle through the "Outdated Calendars" bin. Of course I left displeased.
In Borders though, I found the Mecca of plannerdom.
I know own a massive 10" x 5" x 1" planner. This baby will carry me from August 2008 all the way through December 2009. It has room for my lists and wide margins (which I'm currently using to for my television programs) and month-at-a-glance pages and room for phone numbers and my thoughts.
And do you know what almost brought me to tears about this planner? I had to make a conscious effort not to cry when I realized that I will be writing in this planner for a solid 6 months AFTER I leave the state of Maine.
So, yes, people, there is now an official end stamp on this adventure.
2 comments:
Okay, for 1 - I also schedule TV premieres in my phone.
2 - I adore my planner. My problem has been that mine is too big (8.5x11) to bring where I need it. I am so looking forward to 09 when I can use the smaller sexy leather one with gold edges that I got as a grad present. rowr.
oh, and I like to keep track of what I do also - but mine started as a necessity type of thing. When you get a big girl job, they tell you (or my dad told me) to keep track of everything I do so that if someone comes to me and says, "what exactly have you been doing for us?" you can show them your detailed list of exactly what you did each day on the job.
So I wouldn't be too worried that your habits are unhealthy or weird. You just have proof that you're not a waste of existence! Mmm, as if all those cupcakes weren't proof enough...
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