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PLANNED WAXING

Sunday Dec. 20, 2015


Never talked to anyone. No calls.

Chicken soup day. Voice rested, ears feasted on CDs I’ve not played all year. Brewed pasta sauce. Baked ribs. Watched Magnificent Seven on PBS. Spent ‘busiest shopping day of the year’ not shopping. No malls. No store got one dime. Not enduring elbow clashing nerve-fraying cash register lineups yesterday was fantastic relief. My shopping? Inevitable.  Might as well be ‘early today’ than yesterday’s fray. Merchants, waiting, their pay me now or pay me later posture intact.

Productive chicken soup (snorffle) home-day yesterday.

Hundreds of tasks were each asking – begging – for a few minutes of my 2015. Recognizing which ones I’ve wanted to do, put off all year, which ones I didn’t want to do – yesterday, today or ever – postponing, surgical, strategic and quite unlike my typical year-round procrastination demons. I tossed many things not worth keeping – trash bags full of what will never bother me again. So much OFF my future agenda.

I sorted this way: do it now, do it before Christmas, do it before New Year’s Eve, do it next year. And, not to forget, do it never – ultimate pay-it-forward. Not recommended for bills, notices requiring response or tax filings. Or parking tickets. ALL others must answer, ‘do I want to do this EVER?’

Good question to ask, every day, about everything.

My dining room table laden, still. Lighter now, not with food. I think I see some wood.

Off to that mall now, or, should I wait till later?

It won’t be so busy tomorrow.

Maybe I’ll stay home, clear off that table. Then wax it …

And make more chicken soup …

 

Mark Kolke

written / published from Calgary, AB

morning walk:  -8C/17F (seems warmer – snow seems softer), my shaky tummy felt better in the fresh air, Gusta was on the trail of interesting tracks (she followed them through every zig and zag – I didn’t have the heart to tell her those were her tracks from yesterday). Streets empty, traffic quiet, gorgeous sunrise …


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