Saving Seats. Saving a seat for someone is easy-peasy when space is in abundance. When it starts being taken up by warm bodies, people start to narrow their eyes & panic ensues internally. They glare at your jacket or bag like they are going to move it with their eyes. & then people get verbal
They think they can hustle you into changing your mind. “Is this seat taken?” –Yes. YES. You are sitting there in nervous-park-squirrel-mode, your eyes darting to the entrance at any slight movement. Why would you submit yourself to that sort of angst if you weren’t saving a seat?
Realizing you’re leading a group of people somewhere. You think you’re walking somewhere as a group. & then you realize that everyone is really just hinging on where you’re taking them. You weave left, they weave left – you slow your pace, their pace slows. Your heart will hit bottom when you simultaneously realize that you have no idea where you’re going.
Falling through the stairs. I know I’m too big. It doesn’t matter.
David Bowie. Bringing my bike out of hibernation soon. A new month. Feminist documentaries. Feminist friends. Paying with exact change. Mental health activism. Homemade chai tea lattes. Holding hands. Reading in bed with Robin. Podcasts. Bravery. The library. “Twitter is like bumblebees.” Blue nail polish. My lady tribe. Wiggling my toes. Melissa McCarthy. Making videos. Rediscovering that pen-that-writes-perfectly that you thought was lost. Hot soup. Wearing my glasses more.
I love making lists. In fact, the majority of my moleskin is filled with various lists. To-do lists, things-to-pack lists, grocery lists & lists of various goals…For me, making a list is helpful in narrowing your focus. It sorts out what you really want to accomplish & prioritizes them accordingly. & let’s be honest, what is a better feeling than crossing something off from a list?
Definitely one of life’s greatest small pleasures.
For some people, it’s not making the list that is the problem – but being able to cross off items as completed that is the barrier. Here are some tips that might help you accomplish more from your lists:
Stay Specific When you’re in the process of making your list, take a few extra minutes to really think ahead for each task. Often, if you find yourself unable to complete something – it might need to be broken down into smaller pieces. Don’t label it as something too large like, “Clean garage” – realistically it will be more like, “Separate into keep, donate, & trash piles” & “Have garage sale” before the ball really starts rolling.
Create a Deadline While some of your goals might have more of an ongoing status, when possible create a deadline so you can re-evaluate your list & perhaps change your strategy. If you’re having trouble ‘finding motivation’ re-evaluate what your goals are – often they aren’t what you truly want & that is why it is so hard to complete. If the finish line isn’t where you want to be, why run there?
Don’t Set Yourself Up For Failure Remember to set yourself *realistic* goals. Repeated attempts & fails at something will not help the process – reach out for support if you need it surrounding one of your tasks.
Never Compare Your List to the Lists of Others Just because my friend uses a list where the ideas/tasks all rotate around a cloud in the middle, doesn’t mean that my linear list is no good. Making lists can be a helpful way to learn your own ‘approach to task’ – if something doesn’t work out exactly as you expected, keep working at finding the system that does work.
- Presents. (Subcategory underneath “surprises”). I don’t like unwrapping presents. There is that moment where the ______ is unveiled & I realize what it is. I like it. I gush about how much I like it. I fawn over it & start wearing it on my head. Or…maybe I hate it. & I start absurdly babbling about great it is & how on earth did they know this was exactly what I need. Or what if I don’t really understand what it is. What if they have packed it in a box that is something completely different than what the box actually contains? Maybe I started to react too soon. & now I have to continue before I even see the item. Do I react subtly? Do I react over-the-top? Perhaps a stunned silence could be appropriate. It has to make sense in relation to any other presents they might have seen you open on the scale of gladness. (The holidays are a tumultuous time for me, you can imagine.)
- When someone keeps the door open for you as you just happen to exit simultaneously & then you both start walking the same direction. & then all of a sudden you’re walking with a stranger but since they held the door open – there is this feeling of kinship like you can’t just shun them because then you’re the rude one. They held the door for you! What are you, some sort of monster?
- When I was younger, I used to be anxious about potentially being murdered. But I consoled myself with the knowledge that Jessica Fletcher would solve the case & give my family + friends closure – so it would all be okay.
Finding mischievous holiday surprises in your hallway in the morning! (see above), “Seek Your Course” – an online hub for finding Creative Learning & Living courses, Lovely customized double rings from Etsy, inspirational emails, REAL mail, WW cuffs, days in December where you can wear sandals, knowing this recipe for Warm & Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa will make it into my winter breakfast rotation, Peanut Butter Banana & Oats Shake (which is in my current breakfast rotation), new much-needed purple winter boots, Getting excited for visiting my family in Colorado! Little love letters, banjo calluses, veggie spring rolls, Katzenjammer, peace, love, & feminism.
I know, I know. I’m in Canada – we had our Thanksgiving over a month ago. Well, I happen to like Thanksgiving (food) so much – I celebrate twice a year! & technically we aren’t having our feast until the weekend. So I can give thanks all week long…
Close & supportive friends + family. Robin. New music. Having the ability to help others. Crisp afternoon walks. Painting my nails. Remembering I can practice banjo on my own schedule. My bike. A Toronto Public Library card. People who read my blog! People who comment on the blog! Seeing my family in less than a month. Sweet Potatoes. Freshly ground nutmeg. Double spacing after sentences because I live in a free country. Remembering that the history of Thanksgiving isn’t all fun & games. Purple. Leg warmers. Soft yarn. Photoshop. A great apartment. Warm laundry. Knowing that you have my back, no matter what.
Thank you.
I’ll say right now that I have many more inspirations as far as practicing my banjo, but these are what started it all…
1. Steve Martin – He’s been playing banjo since he was 17 & has two bluegrass albums out (as well as appearances on others’) – “There’s two things to be moved by in the banjo: one is its speed, and one is its emotion. And the banjo is rich with both of those.”
2. Kermit the Frog – When the plinka-plinka is first heard from the swamps… If the coolest frog around played the banjo – I wanted to as well. I’m not good enough to play while balancing on a log though.
3. The Old Man from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland – I bet you didn’t see this one coming. Indoctrinated to Disneyland at a young age, this was (& is) one of my favorite rides. After you get into your boat & float slowly through the Blue Bayou, you can hear slow banjo playing from the porch.
Its strange what sort of things end up influencing you so much.
Almond milk, jack o’ lantern pride, color coding, pirate stripes (post-Halloween), a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils, muppet themed nail polish – a new Muppet movie! Red lipstick + black eyeliner, thinking you’re late but then arriving on time after all, little kids dressed as bees & buzzing while they walk. Bzzz. bzzzz. Bzzz. One person dance party. “Nice pillowcase”, getting out of the house even though it is super difficult, anticipation of getting a haircut, wanting to take another psychology class @ night. Robin as a sailor. Robin as Robin. Color pairings, nutmeg, cinnamon, “Are you more of a chocolate or gummy kind of kid?” Vitamins, twinkly lights (year round), an awesome upstairs neighbor, quirky office supplies, creating spreadsheets that are described as ‘a thing of beauty’, feeling ace, filing folders, blueberry tea.
Secret tea deliveries, Discovering RockMyRun, bright orange leaves, putting books on hold at TPL, celebrating the first of two Thanksgivings, seeing a girl in my neighborhood busking with a banjo, summer weather in October, discovering a monthly stationary delivery service, supportive friends & commentators, & looking forward to a whole new week.
Emails from my Granny, Seeing that the First Lady can Double Dutch, moments of invigoration where I feel like I can really DO THIS, imagining my partner-in-crime & I both working from home in one of these fabulous configurations, celebrating Amanda‘s birthday, pie shops, practicing my banjo!, the Indie Coffee Passport’s triumphant return, snuffly dog noses, lingering brunches with good friends, banjo buddies, blue & green nail polish, riding my bike (zoom).
