Listy Lister-stein

I have officially been on vacation for fourteen business days! Whoo-hoo, right? But I’m beginning to think that I am incapable of totally relaxing and enjoying the time. I don’t think it’s guilt, because I don’t feel guilty. Anyone who thinks teachers don’t deserve the summers off can go stick it you know where. I mean, it is one of the most obvious and basic perks to the job…the non-teacher gets to pee on their own schedule, possibly handle some personal business during the work day and have the occassional 60 minute lunch. I do not. I get summers. And no, please don’t suggest that I went into this profession for the sole purpose of having the summers off, because then I would have to hit you. And that would spoil my fresh manicure. (Ok, so maybe I can relax a little bit at the nail salon).

So we’ve ruled out guilt. I’m starting to think that because I’m a teacher, I am unable to survive without the proverbial To Do list. (tah dah!) I know teachers aren’t the only ones that fall victim to The To Do List, but as a group, we do love us some listing.

If you watch us during a staff meeting, you’ll see everyone begin by focusing intently on our principal. But, as he starts to ramble on (and he does love his perch upon that soap box at times), you might slowly begin to notice all of the small notepads, post its and sheets of paper come out to play. That’s right, we’re listing.

I like to think that with the additional responsibility of a home, a husband and an on-going dissertation, that my abilities to list have transcended to a new level. I have posted about my listing before. They make me feel organized…like I can breathe again. (Am I painting a horribly sad picture of myself or what?? Ask my friends, I am fun…when I’m not listing. And no, I don’t have a list of reasons that I’m fun, but thank you for asking.) Seriously though, my lists are beautiful.

This year however, I began my Awesome Summer To Do List Extreme! a little early and worked at it a bit overzealously. As a result, it is endless. Pages and pages on my fancy-happy-30th iTouch. You can scroll and scroll for days. And some of those things have been there forever.

I think I may be paralyzed by my own list.

My solution? To take the larger list and create a daily, more manageable list (which, yes, includes fun things too).

So no…no bon bons…no morning talk shows….no re-runs of Project Runway (heart it!) for me.

For I will be listing.

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