1. Love some people. 2. Make sure they know it.

q. shenaynay

Yesterday, I read an article about the potential pitfalls of living each day in continual awareness of one's to-do list. Now, this is a tender spot for me. If you see me, there's probably a pink legal pad and a PDA less than fifteen feet away. About once a week I sit down with both of those items plus a cup of hot tea, and redraft everything -- I like to start a week with tidy, well-organized lists. Seriously.

Hello, my name is Queen Shenaynay, and I am a hot sync-aholic.

I sometimes suspect this might be a genetic tendency. You could, at any time, ask almost anyone on my family tree to produce a list of something, anything -- and chances are good they could whip out at least one from a pocket or a purse within seconds.

The list habit can be a blessing or a curse. It all depends on how the list is perceived and how it's used. My list habit usually helps me keep life under control -- I am keenly aware that in order for good things to actually happen and for good ideas to find their way to fruition, I DO have to keep lists. But it can turn on you without warning -- the big bad list occasionally threatens to rule, to keep you from doing cool, fun stuff for the simple reason that you Still Have Stuff To Do. The List Said So.

The list is merely the maintenance tool for a great big life; it is not the life itself.

And that, essentially, was the article author's main point... that living by the list can become a thorn that distracts you from the roses.

She suggested that a good, full life is not lived so that our tombstones can read, "She crossed everything off her list," but rather...


She loved some people, and they knew it.
Her life was full of memorable moments,
and she didn't miss many of them.


Great idea. I think I'll put that on my list of good quotes.