Lucy Boston

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Lister

Are you a list maker? On paper? In a document on your computer? In your mind? Out loud to yourself? Hoping that someone besides yourself will answer back?
From the North American Encarta dictionary -- List: as a verb - to arrange a series of related words, names, numbers, or other items one after the other. To catalog, record, register, roll, make an inventory. IE: She listed the things she needed to do.

I didn't use to have to make notes for myself. Except maybe a list for Christmas gifts purchased or made in June and July. Then that list is kept until December to remind myself that I already have something chosen for that particular someone, not to get another gifty gift. Not to freak out at midnight on the 24th that I have forgotten someone when really I am six months ahead of schedule!


Well, today.... I am admitting that I am now a "lister".


I have to catalog, I just Have to!


I record the incoming commissions of quilts lined up awaiting their turn for my hands to work their meandering magic on the H.Q. quilt machine.


I make a roll call of all the items I need to do before the next whatever meeting.


I take an inventory of my kitchen supplies - what I need the next trip to town and grocery.


Suppose, just suppose, our brains really could keep track of all of the above. Maybe the making of lists just helps us to FEEL more organized in our very hectic lives! It's just a way of psyching ourselves out.




grocery
butter
eggs
flour
leaf lettuce
tp
toothpaste


hardware
paint-frosted pine 1 gal
blue tape


bank
post office


And our brains just said: "PSYCH!, didn't really need to do the list, I have it handled right up here". Is making lists just adding to our things to do list? So when making the list above I should add at the bottom: make lists?


I don't really know, but I think that my becoming "a lister" has helped a little. If only to make me feel better, like something is accompllished. An order put to meandering thoughts. And then as I check things off the list I again feel that sense of accomplishment.


Psych!
Any thoughts?

2 comments:

  1. I make lists for everything--groceries, status of quilt UFOs, what I have to do at work the next day, personal budget for the next umpteen months, books I want to read, movies I want to see. You name it! Usually Excel, except groceries on paper. And lets not forget all the categories in Google Reader for types of blogs--quilting, quilt designers, knitting, food, health, medical news, inspirational, misc, Ohio quilters to look at... LOL. I'm certifiably psych-o.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Reply: Yes, my "list" of lists I keep is a long one, too. I'm not the only one - Whew!

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