Sunday, July 08, 2012

Things to Do

I'm a big to-do list maker. My desk is generally littered with a variety of lists because somewhere in the day I realize the list I started out with needs to be subdivided.

In addition to tasks I need to complete for one reason or another, there's a list for the cool, interesting, fun things I could take advantage of. Because I live in a small town in the middle of the country, people think there's nothing to do here. Even people who live here think that. I think they're not looking very hard.

This week there are free movies, art exhibits and music happening in town. If I'm willing to drive an hour away I can go to three author different author events, and take advantage of a huge selection of art and music events. I could also visit two world-class museums in my little town, or within an hour's drive see everything from Egyptian mummies to historic firearms. I would add to this parks, trails and wildlife areas if Mother Nature weren't trying to bake us all at a high temperature.

The problem becomes what I should spend my time doing. I'm also taking a small class this week about the Amish culture of the area. I'm somehow sure this will necessitate me getting a cinnamon roll at one of the restaurants nearby. Just to get into the proper mindset, of course.

So, the question becomes what to do with my time. There are all of these fun things to do, and also things that need to be done. Then there are a host of things that need to be done for future projects - things like redesigning my business cards and website and such. Then there are the longer term projects - the "What am I going to be when I grow up questions." Answering that question and doing whatever needs to be done to achieve it isn't yet on a list. And those seem like pretty big things.

I'm reminded of the quote about the way to avoid your life is to keep it busy. The actual quote is far more eloquent than that, but you get the gist of it. I don't consciously try to keep my life busy, but it seems there are so many interesting things happening in the world and I don't want to miss them. I'm doing my best to live life fully, not avoid it. If only I could find more hours in every day.

When I hear people say they are bored, I just cannot imagine how that can be. I find each moment of each day drawing me in different directions, and having to make choices between multiple things I'd like to do.
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