Put What Off?

Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today – very sage advice from antiquity. But how much can one do today? Always serendipity intervenes and what Steinbeck said about the best laid plans of mice and men was never more true for this woman this day. I completed a hectic week of puppet performances, historical repetitions at a heritage day re-enactment, responsibilities on the city library board, and assistance at the Tri-Cities annual stamp show. This final day came with gentle persistent rain that alleviated me of moving hoses to water shrubs and trees in my yard.
So I had unscheduled time and thought to catch up on destroying old records that take up space and are unnecessary in my life at this time although meticulous recording and tracking of money thirty years ago was absolutely crucial to prevent misunderstandings of transactions. However, I am reluctant to totally destroy folders until I peruse the contents no matter how old they are – just to be certain they do not contain items which particularly invoke the recesses of my mind for long past memories I consistently forget. One folder contained an official photo by Maxwell AFB of a recruit posed before his first exposure to the Air Force state of the art computer. Another important discovery consisted of photos of WAC participation in the movie that publicized the women's entry into the armed forces in 1942.
That sorting exercise took the entire evening I hoped to spend in relaxation and reflection on the past satisfying week. I intend to plan future weeks to contain more hours for myself to grow older with more serenity.
Forget the concept that I should not put off things for tomorrow that I might be able to squeeze into today. I intend to ignore the sage advice. Sometimes I manage to complete a closely related task at the same time allowed for one. That is time saved and brings extended satisfaction. But that rarely happens. It did not happen today.
Soon I hope to assure time to myself. I will grow older in spite of it – with expectations and anxiety cast aside.
Naomi Sherer