Date: 2015-04-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have two full days left until departure for Georgia, so I was feeling the pressure and made some lists of things I needed to do. The lists only made me more stressed, so I went back to my earlier method of getting whatever preparation done that I could and marking that on the calendar. I also eliminated some things that were on my agenda that really didn't need to be done at all and let go of some other things that would've been nice to clean up with my sedentary life but are ok to leave undone. I threw away the lists and have Simon and Garfunkel's "Feelin' Groovy" in my head now. Georgia or bust!On the topic of the silliness of making lists, here is a story written for children ages 4-8 but could benefit many adults:"A List" by Arnold Lobel in Frog and Toad TogetherOne morning Toad sat in bed. "I have many things to do," he said. "I will write them all down on a list so that I can remember them." Toad wrote on a piece of paper: "A list of things to do today." Then he wrote: "Wake up". "I have done that," said Toad, and he crossed out: "Wake up". Then Toad wrote other things on the paper. "A List of things to do today: Wake up. Eat Breakfast. Get Dressed. Go to Frog's House. Take walk with Frog. Eat lunch. Take nap. Play games with Frog. Eat Supper. Go To Sleep." "There," said Toad. "Now my day is all written down." He got out of bed and had something to eat. Then Toad crossed out: "Eat Breakfast." Toad took his clothes out of the closet and put them on. Then he crossed out: "Get Dressed." Toad put the list in this pocket. He opened the door and walked out into the morning. Soon Toad was at Frog's front door. He took the list from his pocket and crossed out: "Go to Frog's House." Toad knocked at the door. "Hello," said Frog. "Look at my list of things to do," said Toad. "Oh," said Frog, that is very nice." Toad said, "My list tells me that we will go for a walk." "All right," said Frog, "I am ready." Frog and Toad went on a long walk. Then Toad took the list from his pocket again. He crossed out: Take walk with Frog. Just then there was a strong wind. It blew the list out of Toad's hand. The list blew high up into the air. "Help!" cried Toad. "My list is blowing away. What will I do without my list?" "Hurry!" said Frog. "We will run and catch it. "No!" shouted Toad. "I cannot do that." "Why not?" asked Frog. "Because," wailed Toad, "running after my list is not one of the things that I wrote on my list of things to do!" Frog ran after the list. He ran out hills and swamps, but the list blew on and on. At last Frog came back to Toad. "I am sorry," gasped Frog, "but I could not catch your list." "Blah," said Toad. "I cannot remember any of the things that were on my list of things to do. I will just have to sit here and do nothing," said Toad. Toad sat and did nothing. Frog sat with him. After a long time Frog said, "Toad, it is getting dark. We should be going to sleep now." "Got to sleep!" shouted Toad. "That was the last thing on my list!" Toad wrote on the ground with a stick: "Go to sleep." "There," said Toad. "Now my day is all crossed out!" "I am glad," said Frog. Then Frog and Toad went right to sleep.