DAY 7/10 The Anti-List Lists
As a child, one of my favorite books was Morris’ Disappearing Bag by Rosemary Wells. A little older, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. There’s power in invisibility (and really good eavesdropping, in Harriet’s case), but as both characters learn, that power can be misused, too.
Which brings me to today’s insight: INVISIBLE LISTS. Even when I’m not working from a calendar, a schedule, a goal, a plan…I have a constant, invisible list of projects. As soon as I realized this, I attempted to make the list visible:
Reading: finish whatever audiobook you’re on by playing it whenever possible in the car, or on walks on rare occasions you’re without your child; also during workouts. Read other books (printed) as often as possible for self improvement, craft knowledge, writerly fascination.
Physical fitness: tai chi, yoga, karate, and fitness measures of every kind (running, calorie counting, weight lifting). Do these as often as you can and definitely every day.
Spiritual improvement: meditation and accompanying studies with gusto, between the cracks of life as a mother, writer, spouse, business owner.
House/Family: clean basement, clean under porch, clean clean clean clean, cook ahead (freeze soups, freeze small batches of sweet potatoes with cooked beet greens the way River likes it, freeze muffinscookiesfrostingcakes for events River is invited to that are full of allergy foods he cannot eat), manage household and yard/land/driveway issues (fume hood, radon detector, dishwater detergent, slime growing on wooden steps, rotten portion of porch railing, miscellaneous paintings needing to be hung)
For reals? FOR REALS. That list, and I could make it longer…LIVES INSIDE OF MY BODY ALL OF THE TIME. What the heck is THAT?
#mentalload is real and GLORY BE women are getting a “moment” in #herstory right now, but believe me when I tell you it’s invisible lists like these that are my own doing. Yes, society gladly lets me keep these lists and has ways of reminding me to shut up about them (and just get to work). BUT, there’s no one dictating that I do it all.
Except one person: ME.
Today’s list has one item: BURN THE INVISIBLE LISTS.