Somewhere, A Bell Tinkles

I don't do this often, almost never in point of fact — piggyback on someone's blog. But I was just reading Forward Ho's recent entry, When there are clouds in the sky you'll get by, and one of my own foibles sprang to mind.

In case you don't know, Valerie has recently lost her husband, who was younger than I. It was sudden and unexpected. Since then, most of her writing has focussed (yes, it's okay to double the final consonant in Canada) on her loss and the many adjustments that she faces. It's worthwhile reading because reliable sources inform us that "No one is going to get out of here alive." If we are of a certain age, which is perhaps younger than most might think, it is beneficial to do a little mental preparation for the passages that are looming: either our own or our loved one's.

My how you ramble, AC. Stay on topic, young fella!

In this particular post, Val wonders over the elusiveness of many of her friends. Where are they? Why aren't they calling?

It caused me to think just how easy it is to let things slip. It's not that we forget completely, but when we remember, we seem to say something like this to ourselves: "Yes, I had forgotten that; I must remember to do it." And, of course, we promptly lose track of that thought for another long interval. We don't mean to, but we do.

It wasn't terribly long ago, only a few years in fact, that I did that to my mother. She had her kitchen floor replaced, and I said that I would hammer the molding (trim) back in for her. I never did! Occasionally, I would re-remember, and mention that "I must get around to that sometime," but I never did. Not ever!

On another occasion with another project, however, I put a timeline on the task: mostly because I could tell that she was quite anxious about it. She wanted a room painted, and I promised to do it: "By the end of next month." That's all that it took, for by the middle of that month, I was there, ready to proceed.

It's not a difficult concept is it? The exalted THEY say that something is not a goal until you put a timeline on it. It seems to be true, and it took me over fifty yeas to really get that. It's not exactly a hard concept, but it's really the only way to deal with those things that easily slip through the cracks.

Does this ring your bell at all?