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Episode
I: The Phantom List
My mother passed on to me a rare and wonderful thing: the list-power. You see when things get too crazy or overwhelming, my Mom would make a list. I learned that just the act of writing it all down on paper, can make you feel better. Checking each item off as you complete it offers a powerful kind of satisfaction. You've conquered something, you've succeed, you've persevered. I learned that this power is not something to be taken for granted or abused. Having the list-power is very handy, but it can be very dangerous if used for the wrong reasons. But, I don't want to dwell too much on that just now... One useful outing that proved to be a lesson in list-power was a visit to the grocery store. You see, my Mom HATES grocery shopping. And now that I'm older, I see her point. I mean, it's an exercise in futility, but you have to do it. Grab the stuff off the shelf and put it in a cart; put your stuff from the cart onto the conveyor belt; pay for it; put it in bags; put the bags in your car; drive home; take the bags into the kitchen; put the stuff on your shelf. Even writing out the process is tiring. The grocery list process began with making an initial schematic of the grocery store layout, with all the aisles and their contents spelled out. This schematic had a pretty good shelf life, and my mom pretty much committed it to memory. To make the weekly list, my mom would go through each aisle in her head, putting down all the items she would need in the order that she would move through the store. Then we'd go to the grocery store and efficiently pick all the items off the shelf, go to the checkout and be out of there in half an hour. No time for meandering or mistakes. Time is precious when you're a working mom and why spend time doing something you hate? In this crazy world of chaos and disorder, it's comforting to put pen to paper and spell out some tasks. Thanks Mom, for passing on such a powerful gift. Catherine Thomson
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Being
older and wiser, parents often pass things on to their children that
we don't thoroughly comprehend. It's only with age and maturity that
we understand what they have given us are important tools for life.